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 • January 2,22 2026 • Vol. 69, No. 51 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS TRAFFICADU WITHOUT HawaiianREROUTED Gardens Updates Rules INFORMING 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 to Reflect New State Housing Laws that 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 CerNew state mandates ease ritos Community News has obownerarules, fees, tained letter,cap dated September expand unit options, 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans and speed approvals for that from the city of Cerritos blasts the state agencyinfor reroutbackyard housing ing tractor-trailer traffic through Hawaiian Gardens. the City due to I-5 construction projects. By Brian Hews Shockingly, the rerouting was done without the City. The Citynotifying of Hawaiian Gardens has adopted an urgency ordinance updating its rules for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs), bringing local regulations into alignment with new state housing laws that took effect January 1, 2026. The ordinance amends Section 18.90.080 of the Hawaiian Gardens Municipal Code and became effective immediately upon adoption by
the CityinCouncil million damageon to December the streets, 10, 2025. pollution The changes increased in thereflect area, aincreased series oftraffic state noise, laws and passed inin 2025 the that safety furtherrisk limit creased of how resicities dents. can regulate backyard housing. Further the letter states that For the ofmost Caltranshomeowners, is in violation the important affect who project’s changes final Environmental Impact obligates must liveReport on thewhich property, how the agency coordinate withhow citmany unitstomay be built, ies to those minimize large unitsadverse can be,impacts what fees can be charged, and how quickly applications must be processed. One of the most significant changes involves owneroccupancy requirements for JADUs. Under prior law, a homeowner generally had to live on the property when a JADU was created. Under the updated rules, owneroccupancy is now required only
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 OFLONG VALORBEACH FROMRESCUE LAKEWOOD QUEEN MARY CARES DELIVERSAWARD GIFTS TO MISSION DELIVERING: Members of the Queen Mary team deliver grocery gift cards andjumping more than BY THOM MARTIN action, out300 of toys her to car the Long Beach Rescue Mission as part of the Queen Mary Cares holiday outreach program, bringing added grabbing the boy and helping the support to local families and individuals in need thisofChristmas season. Queen Mary. The City Lakewood held Courtesy woman.
its annual Award of Valor lunShe took them to Artesia High cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men School, where they received medand women of the Los Angeles ical assistance and were ultimateCounty Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. [ See UPDATE, page 12 ] LONG BEACH — The Fire Department, as well as the Because of her selfless acQueen Mary brought some community volunteers who pro- tions, the City of Lakewood readded holiday cheer to the The Gateway Cities EnHigh Stakes, Dirty Water, Red Flags: tectBrian and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the By Hews Long Beach Rescue Mission ergy Action Award program Bridget Perrizo, a staff mem- Mayor’s Award at the city’s anthis Christmas through its highlights cities that demonber at Artesia High was honored nual Awards of Valor ceremony. Queen Mary Cares community The City of Artesia has commitment to I when she helped two people that strate"Istrong always wondered what outreach program. once again been recognized as reducing energy consumption, was being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situWith support from guests a regional leader in sustainBridget, was headed back to advancing ation like climate-friendly this one," said Perrizo. and crew, the Queen Mary ability, earning the Gold Level projects, work from lunch when she spot- "By the and graceimplementing of God, I had the delivered a truckload of Gateway Energy Action strategies that supted a dogCities attacking a woman and long-term courage to take action. I'm so grocery gift cards along with Award (GCEAA) for the third port a more sustainable young boy. The dog had knocked glad that both the momregion. and son more than 300 toys to the consecutive year. and they were areParticipating cities are them to the ground okay, and I'm so honored to Long Beach Rescue Mission, The award evaluated onaward.” a range of screaming for was help.presented receive this providing direct assistance to at theBridget 5th Annual GCEAA took activities, including facility immediately TRASH piles up at a condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. The City chose Waste Resources See HERO page 15 local families and individuals upgrades, grant acquisition Incorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begin trash pick up. Photo Brian Hews. Ceremony on December 9, in need during the holiday held at the SoCalGas Energy season. Resource Center in Downey. [ See ARTESIA, page 2 ] As part of the visit, members of the Queen Mary team were given a tour of the new resiBY BRIAN HEWS included House, several adefault letters, “Poor leadership, no foresight Timothy dential facility currently Public on the situation, typical of this which, under California’sunder and Section scheduled and campus access, while While rotting trash is accumu- City Council,” former Hawaiian construction Resource Code 49000, questions go unanswered. By Diana Lambert to open early next year. The others ease penalties on lating in many parts of Hawaiian starts the clock on termination. Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez By Brian Hews In the High Stakes, Dirty Timothy House will serve families, limit classroom Gardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla told HMG-LCCN. City staff even went theas extra Water, Red Flags investigation, andAs theLos CityCerritos CouncilCommunity finally condistractions, and expand college housingtoforwork menwith California students are set The staff report included in transitional step and attempted LCCN has already established a ducted a hearing, waiting an enCWS to cure the breaches and last week’s meeting presented admission pathways. to see fewer cell phones, more ages 18 to 24, offering staNews resumes publication in clear factual record. tire week, and allowing the trash defaults starting in March of this clear evidence that CWS was in New Office of Civil Rights gender-neutral bathrooms, and bility and support for young the new year, the unresolved Part One documented how to accumulate even more, to once violation of its contract with the year, each of which gave CWS One of the most debated legal and governance questions Garza ran the California Cities adults working to rebuild their expanded civil rights oversight again discuss terminating CWS’ City, but Mayor Maravilla and the lives. steps to resolve the defaults. as a slate of new state education laws establishes a state Office surrounding Central Basin for Self-Reliance Joint afraid Powers contract. Council were apparently to In addition the default of Civil Rights within the Queen MarytoCares is the no- laws take effect in the coming Municipal Water District Authority through his privately Under the Ralph M. Brown pull the termination trigger, leav- ship’s tices, charitable the City also attempted to year. California Department of initiative Director Juan Garza remain owned firm, Six Heron, using his Act, Maravilla and the City Coun- ing residents driving by stinky arrange meetings with CWS but Several measures focus on hanging over the agency — and cil could have sent out a notice piles of trash for the foreseeable CWS did not attend most meet- student safety, discrimination, over every vote cast while those LAWS, 4 ]of [ See DIRTY WATER, page 4 ] [ See QUEEN MARY, page 2 ] and held a meeting within two future. ings. ARTESIA HIGH staff-member Bridget Perrizo[ See received the page Award
By Brian Hews
Artesia Earns Gold Level Gateway Cities Energy Action Award for Third Consecutive Year
What LCCN Has Proven — And What Central Basin Has Not Answered
TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS
days to address the situation.
The voluminous staff report
See TRASH page 15
11 New Laws That Will Impact California Schools in 2026
Valor from Lakewood for saving two in a dog attack.