“Veterans Day, how important it is Winner of Fourteen Press for us toLA recognize Awards our from andClub celebrate 20122017. heroes and she-roes.” ~ Maya Angelou
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la miraDa, ca., NovemBer 222025 , 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten other surrounding communities • November 7, • Vol. 69, No. 51 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL MOVEHahn WILL COST THE CITY$24 OVER $5 MILLION Announces Million BY BRIAN HEWS
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-
for Local Stormwater Capture Projects
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 Hews Media Group-Los Cer$1.7 billion inofcombined public prohibited on $24 the million streets, per lythe rerouting traffic, concerns ritos Community News has obCounty awards and local investments through City Municipal stormwater Code.” that have been voiced by Cerritained a letter, dated September for park-based tos residents in calls and emails The Caltrans rerouting of 2030. 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans projects in Downey, Long projects are and investtrucks has caused severe dam- to “These both HMG-LCCN the from the city of Cerritos that Beach, Lynwood, Norwalk, ments in the future of LA County,” age and increased traffic at peak City. blasts the state agency for reroutParamount, and Signal Hill. said.rerouting “Not onlyon willCarmenita they alhours, the extensive damage HahnThe ing tractor-trailer traffic through low us to capture, treat, and reuse alone is estimated “to cost $5.2 takes large trucks by two schools, the City due to I-5 construction millions more gallons of water, but By BriantoHews million repair,” and the “aver- Stowers Elementary and Carmeprojects. they also give us an opportunity to age daily traffic on said streets nita Middle school in addition Shockingly, the rerouting was improve our parks and make our Angeles County SupervihasLos significantly increased and done without notifying the City. more resilient for sor Janice Hahn announced this green spaces See CALTRANS page 14 generations to come.” week that six cities in her Fourth The stormwater program emDistrict will receive a combined phasizes nature-based design, dis$24 million in grants to build advantaged-community benefits, stormwater-capture infrastructure, and local job creation. According part of a sweeping $134 million regional investment approved by to County Public Works, the rethe Board of Supervisors on No- gional program’s projects collectively stormwater from vember 4. BY THOM MARTIN action,capture jumping out of her car SERVICE, SACRIFICE, AND COMMUNITY PRIDE ON DISPLAY over 276,000 acres, providing The funds come from Meagrabbing the boy and helpingan the W—the Clean Water City“Safe, of Lakewood held additional woman. 28,600 acre-feet of waCERRITOS/ARTESIA ROTARY honors heroes at annual First Responders Dinner, recognizing deputies sure The ter annually while parcel of tax Valor approved its annual Award lunShe took themimproving to ArtesiarunHigh and firefighter for exceptional service, teamwork, and dedication to community safety before family, Program”—a off quality into the Los Angeles by voters 2018 generates cheon on in Nov. 6 tothat thank the men School, where they received medcolleagues, and city officials. Photo by Kristina Rincon-Calles, Kris RC Photography. Gabriel and rivers. roughly $285ofmillion and women the Losannually Angeles and icalSan assistance were ultimateLocal Project Awards for projects improving local water County Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. Downey Furman Park supply, enhancing water Fire Department, as wellquality, as the Because –of her selfless acStormwater Capture and Infiland greening volunteers communitywho spaces. community pro- tions, the City of Lakewood reProject ($5.4 million): The 2025-26 package tration tect fiscal-year and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the Upgrades athletic fields, adds exsupports infrastructure acrossmemall Bridget Perrizo, a staff Mayor’s Award at the city’s anIts boundaries shift west into nine Loshonored Angeber watershed at Artesia areas Highinwas nual Awards Valor ceremony. Proposition 50 redraw [ See of PROJECT, page 7 ] Los Angeles County, pulling in les County and will leverage nearwhen she helped two people that "I always wondered what I moves 41st District into heavily populated cities such was being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situL.A. County, placing as Downey and Norwalk. That Bridget, was headed back to ation like this one," said Perrizo. Downey and Norwalk change prompted Representative By Stepheny Gehrig work from lunch when she spot- "By the grace of God, I had the in new boundaries and Ken Calvert, who currently ted a dog attacking a woman and courage to take action. I'm so reshaping Southeast represents the Riverside-based young boy. The dog had knocked glad that both the mom and son The Cerritos/Artesia Rotary L.A. politics. them to the ground and they were are okay, and I'm so honored to 41st, to announce he’ll run in Club hosted its annual dinner screaming for help. receive this award.” the newly drawn 40th District By Brian Hews honoring first responders at Bridget immediately took instead. Political analysts note The TRASH piles up at a condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. City chose Waste Resources Frantone’s on October 29 . See HERO page 15 that moving the 41st into L.A. Incorporated as their new hauler, who said they would immediately begin trash pick up. Photo Brian Hews. For over two decades, the California’s Proposition 50 has set off a major reshuffling County increases its Democratic with Club has hosted the event of congressional boundaries tilt, with the potential to flip a which also included friends, across Southern California, with seat that’s been Republican for family, and local officials. Honored were Deputy Erick Districts 40 and 41 undergoing decades. District 40, meanwhile, Mutum, Deputy Clint Valdez, some of the most dramatic BY BRIAN HEWS “Poor leadership, foresight included several default letters, becomes an OrangenoCounty– Firefighter Andrew Mackchanges. The measure, approved on the situation, typical of this and which, under California’s Public Inland Empire hybrid, Vanderham. by While voters rotting in November 2025, City Council,” former Hawaiian Resource Code Section 49000, trash is accumuincorporating parts of western Each received recognition transfers redistricting lating in many parts of authority Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez starts the clock on termination. Orange County and stretching from the cities of Cerritos from the Mayor independent Citizens told HMG-LCCN. Gardens, Myra Maravilla City staff even went the extra east toward Corona and Murrieta. and Artesia, the offices of CEREMONY: (l-r) Councilmember Steve De Ruse, Mayor Ed and the City Council finally conThe staff report included in step and attempted to work with Eng, Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Otero, Councilmember John Lewis, Redistricting Commission evenmeeting divides presented the city Supervisor Janice Hahn, and ducted waiting anleast en- The last map week’s CWS to cure the breaches and Councilmember Michelle Velasquez Bean, and City Manager Jeff to the a hearing, Legislature—at of Corona, creating a patchwork Senator Tony Strickland. tire week, and allowing the trash clear evidence that CWS was in defaults starting in March of this temporarily—using a new map Boynton stand in front of the newly renovated Civic Center Fountain. that blends suburban O.C. The first honoree of the night to accumulate more, to once created undereven Assembly Bill violation of its contract with the year, each of which gave CWS with exurban Mutum, who has againuntil discuss CWS’ neighborhoods City, but Mayor Maravilla and the was stepsDeputy to resolve the defaults. La Mirada’s Civic Center 604 after terminating the 2030 Census. applause during a special at the Cerritos Sheriff’s Riverside communities. Thisto worked contract. Council were apparently afraid In addition to the default no- has a new crown jewel. The Under the new lines, the old dedication ceremony on has set up a rare Station since 2017. the Ralph M. Brown reconfiguration 41stUnder District—long centered in pull the termination trigger, leav- tices, the City also attempted to newly completed Civic Center October 30, marking a new He was recognized for his between two incumbent Act, Maravilla and the City Coun- face-off meetings with CWS but Fountain Plaza was unveiled ing residents driving by stinky arrange Riverside County—essentially cil could have sent out a notice piles of [trash CWS did notROTARY, attend most meetfor the50, foreseeable [ See page 4 ] this week to community [ See FOUNTAIN, page 7 ] See PROP page 7 ] disappears from that region. and held a meeting within two future. ings. 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. 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
ARTESIA HIGH STAFF-MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD OF VALOR FROM LAKEWOOD
Prop 50 Redraws California’s 40th and 41st Districts, Shaking Up Political Lines
Cerritos-Artesia Rotary Club Honors Three Local First Responders
TRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS
See TRASH page 15
La Mirada Unveils New Civic Center Fountain Plaza