LCCN Stands With Major Dailies After L.A. Press Club Investigative Reporting Nomination The nomination places LCCN as the only weekly alongside some of Southern California’s largest newsroom organizations. LCCN Staff Report
Los Cerritos Community News has earned a nomination for Best Investigative Reporting from the Los Angeles Press Club for its five-part investigative series “High Stakes, Dirty Water, Red Flags,” marking the newspaper’s ninth Press Club nomination in the past 15 years. LCCN was nominated alongside some of Southern California’s largest
news organizations and investigative teams. Other finalists include Jason Henry of the Los Angeles Daily News for “Mold, rats and neglect: a year of inspections at Men’s Central Jail reveals ‘horrific’ conditions,” Semantha Raquel Norris of The San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol Newspaper for the “Silicosis Series,” and Beau Yarbrough of both the San Bernardino Sun for “Why did the 2015 San Bernardino mass shooting happen?” and The Press-Enterprise for “San Jacinto Unified investigates, reports board member to district attorney.” The nomination places Los Cerritos Community News as the only weekly community newspaper recognized in
the category. “High Stakes, Dirty Water, Red Flags” examined whether Central Basin Municipal Water District Director Juan Garza’s simultaneous roles as a Central Basin director and Executive Director of the California Cities for Self-Reliance Joint Powers Authority created incompatible public offices under California Government Code section 1099. Part One focused on the structure and operations of the California Cities for Self-Reliance Joint Powers Authority, a taxpayer-funded agency operated through Garza’s privately owned Bellflower-based firm, Six Heron. The reporting documented how bids, contracts, and agency operations were
routed through Garza’s private infrastructure, including his company email, cellphone, and Bellflower P.O. Box. Part Two examined how those operations intersected with Garza’s public authority at Central Basin. The reporting showed that the JPA represented Bell Gardens, Commerce, Compton, and Hawaiian Gardens — all cities located within Central Basin’s service area — while Garza simultaneously voted on water rates, infrastructure, and regional policy decisions affecting those same cities. Part Three shifted from conflicts to legal consequences, examining Government Code section 1099, California’s incompatible office statute, and See NOMINATION, Page 5
Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012- 2017.
www.lmlamplighter.com 6 DelivereD to 10,000 homes every week
la miraDa, ca., NovemBer 22 , 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten other surrounding communities • May 15, 2026 • Vol. 70, No. 30 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL MOVEofWILL COSTRife THEinCITY OVERLaw $5 MILLION Conflicts Interest Sarega BY BRIAN HEWS
Contracts Tied to Bellflower, Lynwood Unified
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 Cersimultaneously. lack of communication or Hews con- prohibited on the streets, per the rerouting of traffic, concerns ritos Community News has obBy Brian Records obtained by LCCN reveal that have been voiced by 2025 Cerritained a letter, dated September sultation with the City and its City Municipal Code.” BUSD andthat CalAPS, during a June tos residents in calls and emails residents is unacceptable.” The Caltrans rerouting of 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans Last week, Los Cerritos Community meeting, approved a legal conflict-of-interThe City blasted Caltrans for trucks has caused severe dam- to both HMG-LCCN and the from the city of Cerritos that News reported on controversy surround- est waiver involving Sarega Law between blasts the state agency for reroutestablishing a detour route on age and increased traffic at peak City. ing Sarega Law APC, owned by former La BUSD and CalAPS — without publicly exThe rerouting on Carmenita southbound Carmenita between hours, the extensive damage ing tractor-trailer traffic through Mirada councilman Andrew Sarega, and a plaining what future or potential conflict the the I-5 and Artesia Blvd., and alone is estimated “to cost $5.2 takes largetotrucks by two schools, the City due to I-5 construction waiver was intended address. proposed legal services agreement involvmillion to repair,” and the “averStowers Elementary and Carmeprojects. eastbound Artesiaing Blvd. between CalAPS serves both the Bellflower Unithe Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School nita Middle school in addition Shockingly, the rerouting was Carmenita and theDistrict, I-5. where questions age daily traffic on said streets were raised about “Neither stretch of Carmeni- has significantly increased and done without notifying the City. governance, contracting, and public trans- See SAREGA, Page 7 See CALTRANS page 14 parency. The president of the NLMUSD Board, CITY LEADERS DEMAND BAILOUT OVER CARDROOM CRISIS Dr. Robert Cancio, placed a $240,000 SareMayors, councilmembers, and AFSCME District Council 36 leaders address reporters in ga contract on the consent calendar, which is Commerce while demanding emergency state funding assistance amid looming cardroom typically reserved for routine matters. Howrevenue losses tied to proposed California gaming regulations. Officials warned the ever, after reading LCCN’s reporting queschanges could trigger layoffs and public safety cuts. tioning the amount and process, two board members pulled theBY item from the consent THOM MARTIN action, jumping out of her car Gehrig calendar, effectively stopping the proposed By Stepheny grabbing the boy and helping the agreement. The City of Lakewood held woman. In the article, LCCN noted Award that Sarega its annual of Valor luntook them Artesia BellflowerShe leaders saytothe cityHigh is cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men previously faced Fair Political Practices School, where they received medseeing one of its most significant public reduced student phone use during school and women of his the poLos Angeles ical assistance were issues during safety improvements in and more thanultimatea deBy Brian Hews hours, but produced little immediate aca- Commission (FPPC) County Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. litical career, had a rocky history and spotty cade, pointing to a sharp decline in seridemic improvement. At the same time, a Fire Department, as well as the Because of her selfless acous crime during the first part of 2026. attendance as a La Mirada City Councilman, New national studies are pouring cold separate RAND Corporation report found community volunteers who protions, the City of Lakewood reIn a newly released public safety and had limited experience in school district water on the growing belief that banning that school principals overwhelmingtect and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the video, the City of Bellflower announced law. cellphones in schools will quickly solve ly believe the bans are helping improve BridgetinPerrizo, a staffthat memPart IMayor’s crimes Award — the at FBI thecategory city’s anNow Sarega has surfaced the middle classroom distractions, boost grades and school climate and reduce distractions. covering major offenses such as robbery, ber at Artesia High was honored nual Awards of Valor ceremony. of another controversy, this time involvTogether, the reports paint a far more improve student behavior. burglary, and what auto I when she helped two people that aggravated "I alwaysassault wondered School District One major study released by research- complicated picture as California school ing the Bellflower Unified theft — have dropped approximately was being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situ[BUSD], a regional career technical joint ers from Stanford University, Duke Uni- districts — including those across South24% 25% this year. Bridget, was headed back to ation like this one," said Perrizo. powers authority called CalAPS, and a Bellversity, the University of Michigan and east Los Angeles County — continue City officials Bellflower’s work from lunch when she spot"By thecompared grace of God, I had the flower Unified-linked nonprofit foundation the University of Pennsylvania found ted a dog attacking a woman and courage to take action. I'm so where Sarega held multiple officer positions See BELLFLOWER, Page 5 that strict cellphone bans dramatically See PHONES, Page 4 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 screaming for help. receive this award.” Bridget immediately took TRASH piles up at a condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. The City chose Waste Resources See HERO page 15 Incorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begin trash pick up. Photo Brian Hews. 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
Bellflower Officials ARTESIA HIGH STAFF-MEMBER RECEIVES Tout Sharp Sharp Drop AWARD OF VALOR FROM LAKEWOOD in Crime, Homelessness
Schools Say Phone Bans Are Working, Researchers Say The Results Are Mixed
TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS BY BRIAN HEWS While rotting trash is accumulating in many parts of Hawaiian Gardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla and the City Council finally conducted a hearing, waiting an entire week, and allowing the trash to accumulate even more, to once again discuss terminating CWS’ contract. Under the Ralph M. Brown
“Poor leadership, no foresight on the situation, typical of this City Council,” former Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez told HMG-LCCN. The staff report included in last week’s meeting presented clear evidence that CWS was in violation of its contract with the City, but Mayor Maravilla and the Council were apparently afraid to pull the termination trigger, leav-
included several default letters, which, under California’s Public Resource Code Section 49000, starts the clock on termination. City staff even went the extra step and attempted to work with CWS to cure the breaches and defaults starting in March of this year, each of which gave CWS steps to resolve the defaults. In addition to the default notices, the City also attempted to