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la surrounding miraDa, ca., NovemBer 22 ,31, 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten communities • July 2026 • Vol. 70, No. 39 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL MOVE WILL COST CITY OVER MILLION Who’s Up?THEWho’s Down?$5The 2026 Homeless
BY BRIAN HEWS
Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News has obtained a letter, dated September 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans from the city of Cerritos that blasts the state agency for rerouting tractor-trailer traffic through the City due to I-5 construction projects. Shockingly, the rerouting was done without notifying the City.
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
during the construction period. “Caltrans has failed to coordinate 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-
ta or Artesia is a city designated flows onto arterial streets.” truck route, commercial vehicles The City then cited the nuover 6,000 pounds are strictly merous safety hazards caused by traffic, concerns the region. prohibited on the streets, per the rerouting ofnext throughout that have been voiced by CerriCity Municipal By Code.” Brian Hews Cerritos Homeless Count The Caltrans rerouting of tos residents in calls and emails Jumps 270%, One of Region’s trucks has caused severe dam- to both HMG-LCCN and the The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Largest Increases age and increased traffic at peak City. Homeless painted The a mixed The number of unsheltered hours, the extensive Count damage rerouting on Carmenita picture across Southeast Los Anhomeless people counted in alone is estimated “to cost $5.2 takes large trucks by two schools, geles County, with some citiesElementary re- Cerritos increased dramaticalmillion to repair,” and the “averStowers and Carmeporting increasesnita in unshelly during the 2026 Greater Los age daily traffic on sharp said streets Middle school in addition tered homelessness while others Angeles Homeless Count, rising has significantly increased and
Numbers Are In, How Did Your City Rank?
14 in 2025 to 37 recorded declines or little changeSee CALTRANS from 10 page people from a year ago. this year, a 270 percent increase
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 woman. She took them to Artesia High School, where they received medand women of the Los Angeles ical assistance and were ultimateCounty Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. 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. when she helped two people that "I always wondered what I was being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situAnnual count different Bridget, MIXED: was headed back tohomeless ation like this shows one," said Perrizo.trends across S.E. Los Angeles Cerritos the the largest increase and work from lunch when sheCounty, spot- with "By the grace recording of God, I had Bellflower posting largest decrease. Graphic by ted a dog attacking a woman andthe courage to take action. I'mBrian so Hews. young boy. The dog had knocked glad that both the mom and son them to the ground and they were are okay, and I'm so honored to The annual Point-in-Time that ranked as the largest perscreaming for help. receive this award.” Count, conducted Bridget immediately tookby the Los An- centage increase among cities
LOS ANGELES County Supervisor Janice Hahn joined faith leaders and community members during a multiThe City of Lakewood held faith vigil July 25 at Knabe Regional Park in Cerritos. Held before the “Together We Are Stronger: Stop Antiits annual Award of Valor lunAsian Hate” mural, the gathering included prayers, scripture readings, and a remembrance ceremony honoring cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men individuals organizers associated with recent ICE enforcement-related deaths.
Millions More Californians Can Now Add Driver’s Licenses to Their Smartphones
Sup. Hahn Joins MultiFaith Vigil at Knabe Regional Park Calling for ICE Accountability
Interfaith gathering at featured prayers, remembrance, and TRASH piles up at a condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. The Citycalls chosefor Waste Resources accountability Incorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begin trash pick up. Photo Brian Hews. following ICE-related deaths cited by organizers.
See HERO page 15 geles Homeless Services Authori- in the Los Cerritos Community ty, is a one-night census of people News coverage area. experiencing homelessness and The annual Point-in-Time serves as the region’s benchmark Count found no sheltered homefor measuring year-to-year trends. less residents in the city, meanThe data also helps determine ing all individuals identified By Brian Hews BY BRIAN ID: HEWS included several default letters, leadership, foresight DIGITAL California’s expanded“Poor mobile driver’snolicense program how millions of dollars in federal during the count were living situation, typical this their which, under California’s Public allows millions more residents on to the securely store and of present homelessness funding are distrib- outdoors or in vehicles. While rotting trash is accumu- City Council,” former Hawaiian Resource Code Section 49000, Los Angeles County Superdriver’s license on a smartphone. uted to local agencies and service Volunteers documented 70 lating in many parts of Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez starts thevisor clock Janice on termination. Hahn joined faith providers. dwellings associated with homeGardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla told HMG-LCCN. City leaders staff evenand wentcommunity the extra memAmong the cities covered by lessness, including 16 cars, eight and the City Council finally conThe staff report included in step and attempted to work with ing over a physical card, giving bers at a privately organized Los Cerritos Community News, vans, eight recreational vehicles, ducted a hearing, waiting an en- last week’s meeting presented CWS to cure the breaches and California dramatically vigil of July 25 at Don users greater control over the multi-faith tire week, and allowing the trash clear evidence that CWS was in defaults starting in March this percentage changes varied widely. 34 makeshift shelters and four expands smartphone Knabe Regional Park honoring personal to accumulate even more, to once violation year, each of which gave CWS of itsinformation contract withthey the share. Cerritos recorded the largest in- tents. driver’s licenses, giving whom organizers said expansion the to people again discuss terminating CWS’ City, butThe Mayor Maravilla is andpart the ofsteps resolve the defaults. crease, with its unsheltered homeDespite the sharp percentmillions died during encounters with contract. more residents a Council were apparently afraidof to MotorIn addition to the default noCalifornia Department less population rising 270 percent, age increase, Cerritos’ total of faster, more to Under the secure Ralph way M. Brown pull Vehicles’ the termination trigger, leavtices, theU.S. CityImmigration also attemptedand to Customs continuing modernwhile Pico Rivera posted the larg- 37 unsheltered individuals reverify their identity. Act, Maravilla and the City Coun- ing ization residentseffort. drivingMore by stinky arrange Enforcement meetings with (ICE). CWS but than 90% est decrease, cutting its unsheltered mained below neighboring Norcil could have sent out a notice piles of trash for the foreseeable CWS did not attend most meetThe gathering was held in homeless population nearly in half. of DMV transactions can now walk, recorded 102, and and Brian held a Hews meeting within two future. ings. ARTESIA HIGH staff-member Bridget Perrizo received thewhich Award of By be completed while QR front of the 100-foot “TogethBellflowerforand Santa Fe Springs Downey, which counted 98. days to address the situation. The voluminous online, staff report Valor from Lakewood saving two in a dog attack. AreTRASH Stronger: code check-ins at field offic- er We See page 15 Stop An- reported no year-over-year change. The Point-in-Time Count is ti-Asian Hate” mural, commises have reduced customer wait Although percentage changes conducted each year to provide Millions more Californians times by nearly 40%. The de- sioned by LA vs Hate, a program can appear dramatic in cities with a snapshot of homelessness can now carry a digital verpartment has also introduced of the Los Angeles County Com- relatively small homeless popula- throughout Los Angeles County sion of their driver’s license or digital signature barcodes on mission on Human Relations. tions, the figures provide a consis- and helps determine the distristate identification card on their Hahn participated in the mural’s tent snapshot of how homelessness driver’s licenses and identificabution of federal homelessness smartphones following Gov. unveiling in August 2021. is changing from one year to the funding. tion cards to help reduce identity Gavin Newsom’s signing of During the vigil, Hahn read fraud. legislation that significantly exfrom the Gospel of Matthew Drivers should still keep 25:31-45, quoting the passage, pands the state’s mobile driver’s their physical driver’s license “Whatever you did for one of the license program. with them while operating a ve- least of these brothers and sisters The new law increases parpercentage increase. The city Cerritos Homeless Jumps 270% hicle. State officials emphasized of mine, you did for me.” ticipation from 15% of Califorcounted 37 unsheltered homeless The 2026 Greater Los that the mobile driver’s license According to organizers, individuals, up from 10 in 2025, nia’s licensed drivers to 60%, is intended to supplement—not Hahn encouraged attendees to Angeles Homeless Count an increase of 27 people, or 270 making the program available replace—the traditional card seek accountability, transpar- showed dramatically different percent. to as many as 21 million resibecause many law enforcement ency, and independent investi- trends across Southeast Los The annual Point-in-Time dents. Since the pilot program agencies, government offices gations into ICE enforcement Angeles County, with some Count found no sheltered homelaunched in 2023, approximateand businesses have not yet ad- actions while urging businesses cities reporting sharp increases in less residents in Cerritos, meanly 3.9 million Californians have opted the technology. to protect employees, customers, unsheltered homelessness while ing everyone identified during the enrolled. Currently, digital driver’s and surrounding communities others experienced significant survey was living outdoors or in A mobile driver’s license licenses are accepted at select during immigration enforcement declines. vehicles. allows users to securely veriAmong the cities covered by Transportation Security Admin- operations. Volunteers documented 70 fy their identity or age directly istration security checkpoints, Faith leaders representing Los Cerritos Community News, dwellings associated with homefrom their smartphone at particCerritos recorded the largest ipating locations without handSee VIGIL, Page 4 See HOMELESS, Page 5 See LICENSE, Page 4
TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS
Homeless Count by the Numbers