Cerritos Community Newspaper Group

LCCN Exclusive Saddleback College Professor Amy Ahearn Found in Los Angeles

2011-11-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

LCCN first reported this story late last night (Nov 11)

CASE UPDATES AS OF SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2011 at 1:20 p.m.
Ahearn had been going through a divorce with popular Cerritos College English Professor Timothy Juntilla when she was reported missing in mid-September.

Ahearn located Friday Nov. 11 at around 10 p.m. at 85th Street in South Central Los Angeles.

Kathie Allen, Ahearn Family Private investigator tells LCCN that it "was a miracle she was alive."

Ahearn undergoing medical review at well known area hospital.

Exact details of Ahearn's health condition as of Saturday afternoon at around 3:30 p.m. remain unknown, according to Investigator Allen.
Sources tell LCCN that LAPD received a phone call on Friday night about a "suspicious woman" near 85th Street in Los Angeles, and when two Deputies arrived, they learned that the woman was indeed Ahern.
LCCN also learned that Ahern had been carrying her official identification with her for the past two plus months in a back pack.

By Randy Economy

Missing Saddleback College Professor Amy Ahearn has been found alive in South Central Los Angeles, Los Cerritos Community News has learned exclusively. Ahearn was located late Friday night at around 10 p.m. off of 85th Street in South Central Los Angeles. She was located by members of the Los Angeles Police Department.{{more}}

Ahearn was taken to an area hospital where she is being evaluated.

Investigator Kathy Allen, who has been spearheading the search efforts on behalf of the Ahearn Family, said that it is "a miracle that Amy was located, safely, and that she is going to be okay."

{{more}}Ahearn, an English Professor at Saddleback College went missing on August 22 when she was seen near a law office near the Norwalk Civic Center.

The popular instructor has been the subject of a major search effort from both the Orange County and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A Missing Person Bulletin was issued through the tow counties in early September.

Ahearn was briefly found sitting in front the home of Ana Ruvalcaba at around midnight on September 18 at the 11900 block of Ferina Street in Norwalk.

Ruvalcaba, 26, a lifelong resident of Norwalk and a mother of a four year old told LCCN that she and family members took Ahearn into her home "in the middle of the night" in mid-September after Ahearn told them that she was "waiting for a ride from a friend."

While inside the Ruvalcaba's home, Ahearn's wallet fell out of the back pack she was carrying, when they confirmed that the woman was indeed the missing Ahearn according to her driver’s license.

Ruvalcaba said that from 1 to 6 a.m. that evening in September, Ahearn agreed to come inside their families home to "get out of the cold air" and gave Ahearn coffee, they also "Prayed the Rosary" during the time Amy was inside their home.

After the sun rose on September 18, Ruvalcaba told LCCN that she drove Ahearn to a local Motel 6 on Rosecrans Avenue in Norwalk so Ahearn could get a "place to stay." While waiting for a room to become available at the motel, Ahearn apparently wandered off to a nearby Carrow's Restaurant parking lot and that is where Ruvalcaba said last saw Ahearn.

Ahearn was missing until Friday night when she was located.

The exact details of her condition as of Saturday afternoon at around 3:30 p.m. remain unknown, according to Investigator Allen.

Allen, who is the principle owner of Allen Morris Investigations out of Irvine, California (www.allenmorrisinvestigations.com) told LCCN that this was one of the "most rewarding cases" she has been involved with in her nearly decade long career.

Allen also confirmed that members of law enforcement did contact Ahearn's family in the Chicago area late Friday evening to give them the good news.

Allen said she spoke to Marjorie Ahearn, Amy's older sister outside of Chicago who said she was "elated that Amy was found, alive, and well."

JULY 29, 2011 PUBLICATION

2011-07-31T14:14:00.001-07:00

Off Street Café
celebrates ribbon cutting with Cerritos Chamber

By Randy Economy

This has been a whirlwind month for Robin Vandenberg and Rose Viscolu the owners of the Off Street Café on Artesia Boulevard and Studebaker Road in Cerritos.
Earlier this month, the landmark eatery was given a complete head to toe make over by world famous chef Robert Irvine and the Food Network’s mega hit show “Restaurant Impossible.”
On Wednesday members of the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce, including Chamber President Ann Smith, and Vice Mayor Jim Edwards, and representatives from California State Senator Alan Lowenthal and US Representative Linda T. Sanchez presented Off Street with several awards and certificates at a special “Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.” Also joining in the celebration were several members of the Cerritos Regional Chamber Board of Directors, community leaders, and representatives from Cerritos City Hall.
Vice Mayor Jim Edwards told the crowd of well wishers at the Chamber event that everyone has been “thrilled” to see the changes to Off Street during this past month and said it was “exciting” to be part of the recent taping of the “Restaurant Impossible” production.
He presented Vandenberg and Visscolu with a special proclamation on behalf of the Cerritos City Council.
On Thursday night, the entire Cerritos City Council recognized Off Street and their staff at the City Council Meeting for their longtime commitment to the residents and to celebrate their “new look” and menu.

Eighty-eight players turn out for
Hawaiian Gardens Golf Tournament

By Larry Caballero and
Jerry Bernstein

Eighty-eight players participated in Hawaiian Gardens 12th Annual Donald E. Schultze Memorial Golf Tournament held at Westridge Golf Club June 22 in the city of La Habra.
First Place Team with a score of 56 went to Knabe, Garza, Espenzoa and Guiller. Placing second with a score of 57 was Knabe, Gomeaz, Nava and Patrick. Third Place team with a score of 61 included Parker, Harnis, McDougal, and George. Honesrty Award with a score of 85 went to Sandoval, Eggart, and Casimira.
Longest Drive went to Dan Gonzalez on the 17th Hole and Roberta Abner on Hole Number Five. Closest to the Pin was won by Danny Yoguez on Hole 11 and Donna Schultz on Hole 15.
Attending the tournament was former Mayor Betty Schultz and family. The annual tournament, is named after her late husband Donald, who also served on the city council and was a community leader for many years.
Mary Lou Landes was the honoree at this year’s tournament where more than 180 dignitaries and friends recognized her for her dedication and commitment to improving the lives of families in Hawaiian Gardens and surrounding communities.
Landes served five years on the Senior Advisory Board, Chairperson of Southeast Regional Collaborative Board for 10 years, Cerritos Chamber Board of Directors, worked with the Head Start Program both educationally an socially, Board of Directors for Little League and Pop Warner Football, and active with ABCUSD School Board with issues pertaining to Hawaiian Gardens schools.
Landes grew up in Georgia, attended the University of Georgia and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta. She came to California and worked in Berkeley for 10 years before moving to Long Beach in 1969.
She specialized in Behavioral Health Nursing, holding various administrative positions in hospitals, where her specialty was opening and developing Mental Health Units.
She was recruited to Bellwood Health Center in Bellflower where she met and worked for Art Gerrick, who would later bring her to Tri-City Regional Medical Center in Hawaiian Gardens to work as Director of Community Relations/Business Development.
She has been a recipient of many awards and commendations including Human Services Association Person of the Year, Senator Alan Lowenthal’s Women Who Make a Difference Award, Assemblymember Tony Mendoza’s Women of the Year Award and commendations from Congresswoman Linda Sanchez and the ABC School Board.
She feels one of her most fulfilling accomplishments is her Little League team in Hawaiian Gardens that she lovingly calls “Her Boys” of 10 who she has sponsored/mentored since 7th grade and who are now seniors in high school.
Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Mike Gomez said, “Winning championships in baseball was great, but keeping them focused and out of gangs through adolescent years, and having them pursuing educational/professional goals took patience and perseverance, but she has been successful and most proud of her title Mom Mary Lou as the boys call her.”
She currently lives in Los Alamitos with her cat “Sir James Harden” known as Jamie.

Optimist guest speaker discusses Therapeutic Riding Program for those with disabilities

By Jerry Bernstein

Speaking to members of the Cerritos Optimist Club at their June 21 dinner meeting, Darlene Harman, President and Founding Director of “Ride Your Horse Therapeutic Program” located at B&B Stables in Cerritos said the goal of the program is to provide quality equine-assisted activities to individuals of all ages with disabilities and encourage self-growth through physical, cognitive, social, emotional and educational benefits. She described the connection between the rider and the horse as being amazing.
“Therapeutic riding can help those with various disabilities. The horses’ rhythmic movements stimulate the rider’s muscles and joints and can lead to improved balance, coordination, muscle strength and increased self-confidence.
She said many people believe any horse can be used. “That’s not the case at all. We need horses that can walk, trot and canter. They need to be trained and have the right disposition that’s needed to work with riders who have disabilities. In addition, our own people need to be trained in order to work with the horses and their riders.”
She said volunteers are also an important and essential part of the program. They provide emotional support and unconditional acceptance both to the rider and horse as they work closely with instructors to ensure lessons are safe and enjoyable. They not only assist with lessons but also lead the horses, talking to it and encouraging the rider when necessary.. She said in some cases it takes three volunteers for a rider to have a safe, beneficial lesson. “Without volunteers many of our riders would not be able to ride,” she exclaimed. “Not only does the instructor need to know the horses but the volunteers as well.”
Harman said their kids are unable to go out and play soccer or baseball. The only way they can contend is riding the horses. They are very proud when they can go out and compete on their horses, inviting their parents and family to come out and watch them. It’s difficultd for them in the beginning but they work hard and have the determination to succeed, “Most of all it doesn’t matter how old you are,” she said.
Harman concluded by saying, “At the end of the day it’s nice to know that when you go home at night, you have made somebody smile.”

LBS Financial
Credit Union Awards 32 Student Scholarships

Long Beach, CA – June 27, 2011
At the close of the 2011 school year, LBS Financial Credit Union awarded scholarships to 32 students in Long Beach, Lakewood, Cerritos and surrounding communities.
Each year LBS Financial encourages local area high schools, adult schools and community colleges to participate in their scholarship program by recommending students for an award. This year, 28 high school, 2 college and 2 adult school students were awarded scholarships. The credit union works directly with each school counselor to receive their recommendation for a worthy student recipient each year.
The credit union also offered a $1,000 scholarship in 2011 that could be applied for by any LBS Financial member in their final year of high school or first three years of college. One winner for the $1,000 scholarship is selected by a credit union employee committee each year and will be formally announced later this summer.
“Education is at the foundation of our credit union,” said LBS Financial’s President and CEO Jeffrey A. Napper. “With the rising cost of college, we hope our scholarship program helps these outstanding students towards reaching their educational goals.”
Throughout May and June 2011, scholarships were presented, along with a plaque, to students at their school’s award ceremony.
LBS Financial, founded in 1935 as the Long Beach School District Employees Federal Credit Union, is a member-owned cooperative providing savings, checking, Visa®, money markets, certificates, IRA, insurance and investment services. LBS Financial also offers personal, vehicle, boat and home loans. Their field of membership encompasses fifty cities surrounding the greater Long Beach area, as well as Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego Counties. They currently service over 115,000 members with six branch office locations, convenient electronic access (ATMs, online banking) and are part of the CU Service Center network. LBS Financial Credit Union has $1 billion in total assets.

Walker Junior High School Representatives Win at Jostens
Renaissance National Conference

By Larry Caballero

La Palma Walker Junior High School students and staff recently returned from the 2011 Jostens Renaissance National Conference held at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim July 15-17 where the 20th annual conference provided a wide variety of ideas, tools, and recognition models to help improve overall academic performance. Over 1,000 participants from all over the United States and Canada participated.
Jennifer Sasai, teacher and Renaissance adviser, was honored with the Coordinator of the Year award. Only four educators in the United States are honored with this prestigious award each year.
Walker Junior High School took home for the second consecutive year the “Spirit Award” during the conference for demonstrating enthusiasm and purpose. It is a major accomplishment that a junior high chapter won this award over all the secondary schools in the nation.
“I am proud of how our students represented our school at the conference. We learned new ideas to implement at our school and also were able to share what we have done to promote student success at Walker Junior High School in front of a national audience. I was honored to be named a Jostens Renaissance Coordinator of the Year and be able to celebrate with my students at the conference,” said Sasai.
“Schools that have integrated Jostens Renaissance into their curriculum have seen noticeable improvement in students’ academic performance,” said Charley Nelson, Director, Educator Services, Jostens. “By implementing the program, students receive the extra push and recognition they need to improve their academic skills and develop self-confidence.”
Calissa Jones, an eighth grade student, who has attended the Jostens Renaissance National conference for two consecutive years commented, “Both years that I have attended the conference, I’ve been incredibly inspired to make a difference in my community.”
The conference featured guest speakers NBA star Bill Walton, and Liz Murray, a homeless child of drug-addict parents and a Harvard grad winner of the Oprah Winfrey’s “Chutzpah Award,” and subject of the Lifetime film Homeless to Harvard.
Ron Hoshi, assistant principal at Oxford Academy, who served as a chaperone remarked, “Ms. Murray is one of the most inspirational speakers I have ever heard in my career as an educator.”
At Walker Junior High School, two high-energy Renaissance rallies are held each year. The fall rally honors eighth graders for grades earned the previous year. The spring rally honors both seventh and eighth graders for grades earned during the first semester.
“Renaissance is more than a program. It is also a process that encourages academic excellence, improvement, and citizenship,” said Sasai.
Founded by educators in 1988, Jostens Renaissance is the first and only national education-focused program created to recognize and reward the academic achievements of students from elementary school through college. Its primary goals are to increase student performance and teacher enthusiasm, and to raise the level of community participation in schools.

Nine Year Old Discovers Strange
Plant in Family’s Garden

By Andrew Perry

Austin O’ Malley, nine years old, noticed an odd looking flower growing in the family garden, along 183rd Street in Artesia. The flower was not intentionally planted there, yet it was attractive enough to convince Austin to continue caring for it. That was back in March. Today the flower, a hollyhock, is now 13 feet, 8 inches tall.
Austin’s father, Sean O’ Malley, thinks that a bird must have dropped the seed at its prominent spot at the forefront of their garden. “It’s a few feet away from the world record,” said Sean O’ Malley. According to the 1982 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, the tallest hollyhock reported was 24 feet, 3 inches tall, grown by W.P. Walshe of Eastburne, East Sussex, United Kingdom in 1961. Again, this was reported however but not photographed. The tallest confirmed flower was 19 feet, 7 inches, grown by George Palmer of West Clandon, Surrey, in the United Kingdom, during 1978.
While it may be too late for this hollyhock flower to outgrow the world record, the two O’ Malleys seemed intent on pursuing the record next year. They said they have saved the seeds and are making a plan for next year’s flower.

City Council Health Insurance and
Benefits Differ From City to City

By Jerry Bernstein

Editor’s note: This is the second article concerning health insurance and benefits for area City Council members, many who are considered part-time employees. The question being asked- should cities pay for the insurance, which usually covers dependents or should members of the city council pay a portion of the premium. The previous article covered the cities of Artesia and Cerritos.

An ongoing LCCN investigation has found that health insurance and benefits vary from city to city. The majority of the cities provides health insurance not only for the council members but their families too. In addition some cities continue coverage after a councilmember goes off the council. In Artesia however, the health insurance ends once the councilmember is no longer on the council.
In the city of Hawaiian Gardens each councilmember and family member receive health insurance. The insurance stays in force until such time as the member goes off the council unless he is vested (on the council for more than five years, is retired, and is over 55 years in age.)
If a councilmember declines to take the insurance he or she receives nothing. If the insurance fee is in excess of the normal fee that is governed by CALPERS, the councilmember must pay the difference, which is usually for dependents.
Two members of the Hawaiian Gardens council, Mayor Mike Gomez and Mayor Pro Tem Michi Oyama-Canada, are not covered by the city because they have their own medical insurance.
Norwalk city council members and their families receive health coverage. This ends when the councilmember leaves the council. The coverage does not include dental care. If a councilmember is 65 years he or she has a choice of basic health or they can go on Medicare provided they are not employed.
The City of La Palma does not provide any health insurance coverage for its councilmembers,
Councilmembers in the city of Cypress pay no premium if the coverage is just for them. If the councilmember includes family members they have to pay the difference. Councilmembers have several medical plans to pick from. They include PERS Care (Blue Cross), PERS Choice (Blue Cross), PERS Select (Blue Cross) BLUE SHIELD HMO Coverage, BLUE SHIELD Net Value Coverage, and Kaiser HMO Coverage.
Councilmembers also have two Dental Plans to choose from: Delta Preferred and Delta Care, which the premiums are paid for by the city. However under Delta Preferred the council members pays $41.12 for one dependent and $105.66 for two dependents. Under Delta Care one dependent is $13.90. Two dependents are $29.95. Councilmembers who chose to waive dental coverage receives $5 per month.
There is also city paid life insurance coverage in the amount of $10,000 through Sun Life Insurance Company of America and a Vision Service Plan (VSP) where the council- members pays a $10 co-payment for self and each dependent. The councilmember may also elect to enroll as an “Optional” member in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) with 2 percent @ 55 formula, single highest year calculation and survivor benefit. DEFFERED COMPENSATION is available to all Council Members.
The last city surveyed was Santa Fe Springs. Like all employees, members of the City Council receive medical, dental, and life insurance while in office. There are different types of medical plans available, so it depends on what plan the person chooses if their dependent(s) are to be covered.
Up until last year, dependents were eligible for coverage on most insurance policies until 18, or 21 if they were full-time students. Under a new law, passed by President Obama, dependents can now stay covered on their parents' medical plans until they reach the age of 26. To date Santa Fe Springs has never had a Councilmember retire with dependents that qualified to be on their plans; most are over the age to be covered. Spouses however could be covered if that type of plan is chosen.

West Nile virus
cases jump
dramatically in
Cerritos

By Randy Economy

The number of dead birds confirmed to have the deadly West Nile Virus in Cerritos has now risen to 12, according to latest data from officials with the Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
At a community meeting held at the Skyline Room at the Cerritos Library last week, authorities from GLACVCD said that the number of dead birds with WNV has actually doubled in the past two weeks alone.
Cerritos now accounts for nearly 60% of all confirmed cases in all of Los Angeles County of dead birds that have fallen from the virus.
As of last week, Vector Control officials said that 21 dead birds have been found throughout Los Angeles County who died from the killer virus, and of those 12 were found in Cerritos, or roughly 60% of all cases to date.
Vector Control officials also reported that 36 mosquitoes have been found in traps throughout Los Angeles County, and of those five were found in Cerritos.
Los Angeles County has reported the highest number of West Nile virus (WNV) positive dead birds so far this year when compared to all other counties in California, and Cerritos has the most recorded cases in Los Angeles County according to the latest statistics.
Overall, Vector control districts in L.A. County have reported 26 of the 69 West Nile virus positive dead birds that have been recorded statewide. Within one week, the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District (GLACVCD) has identified an additional eight West Nile virus positive dead birds bringing the District’s total to 21 for the year. Of the eight new WNV positive dead birds reported.
Councilman Mark Pulido, and around 20 local community members attended the briefing at the Cerritos Library.
Pulido interjected that he has personally seen "thousands" of black crows that have been flocking in “clusters” in areas around the Cerritos Civic Center.
Crystal Brown, an official with Vector Control, said that there is a "cause for concern" since so many cases are located in a dense area here in Cerritos.
"This is very alarming, and concerning, and now is the time for everyone to get educated and to take precaution," she told the community meeting.
Longtime Cerritos resident Don Faisy, a teacher in the ABC Unified School District said he found at least three dead black crows in his back yard over the "past few days alone." Faisy said the only way he learned about the outbreak was from a recent series of articles in the Los Cerritos Community News. "If it wasn't for LCCN reporting on this, I am afraid no one would get this information," Faisy said.
The newest locations where the dead birds with the West Nile Virus found in Cerritos during the past few days were found at the 16000 block of Winward, 12000 block of Edgefield, 13000 block of Park, and the 17000 block of Stark.
Officials said that they are working to get an "interactive map" to be placed on line that will that will provide "real time" confirmed case data, and where it is located.

State claims CRA’s have been using
accounting gimmickry for decades

By Randy Economy

California Attorney General Kamala Harris has filed a response with the California Supreme Court on Wednesday in the legal battle to eliminate Community Redevelopment Agency’s in the Golden State.
In the 85 page response that was filed on Wednesday in San Francisco, Harris claims that CRA’s have relied of “accounting gimmicks, illusory spending cuts, and improbable revenue projections.”
Here is the full text of the response:
“In 1945, the California Legislature passed legislation authorizing the creation of Redevelopment Agencies ("RDAs"). Over time, hundreds of RDAs were created, and they grew to control many billions of public dollars each year. As the percentage of public funds controlled by RDAs grew, the portion available to fund crucial local services like schools, transportation, and fire protection dropped.”
“During most of the past decade, even as RDA funds grew, California struggled with massive budget deficits. These deficits were extended and exacerbated by budgeting practices that relied too heavily on borrowing, accounting gimmicks, illusory spending cuts, and improbable revenue projections. Making matters much worse, the Great Recession reduced the state's revenue base by 30 percent.”
“When Governor Brown took office, California's immediate and long term fiscal problems were immense. A $25.4 billion budget deficit existed for 2011-12 and an annual structural deficit of up to $21.5 billion was projected into the future. Time had come for the Legislature and the Governor to confront difficult policy and spending choices and enact an honest and fiscally responsible budget. For the first time in many years, they did so when they passed the 2011-12 FY Budget. This budget not only closed the fiscal year's $25.4 billion imbalance, but it also reduced the structural deficit by more than $15 billion.”
As part of this budget, the Legislature passed legislation which eliminated RDAs and called for their operations to be systematically wound down. Simultaneously, the Legislature created an alternative, voluntary scheme for cities and counties to use should they wish to continue pursuing redevelopment. Through this petition, RDA supporters seek to have the Legislature's actions declared Unconstitutional.
The petition alleges that state constitutional provisions which limit the Legislature's ability to tamper with the stream of income flowing into and out of RDAs also preclude the Legislature from terminating the RDA program through AB IX 26. This contention is meritless. RDAs are creatures of statute—not the state constitution—and the Legislature may dissolve them. Proposition 22 does not change this analysis and did nothing to limit the Legislature's power to dissolve RDAs.
The petition also claims that AB1X 27, which created a new and voluntary redevelopment program, violates Proposition 22. This contention is also without merit. Proposition 22 blocks forted shifts and transfers from RDAs. AB1X 27 is voluntary and does not force RDAs or cities and counties to do anything. Although respondent 1 does not agree that the statutes are infirm, she does agree that the issues presented are of sufficient importance to warrant resolution by this Court in the first instance, preferably on an expedited basis.
Finally, the Court should not issue a stay of these critically important pieces of the state's current budget framework. AB IX 26 and AB1X 27 are essential parts of the budget solution crafted by the Legislature and the Governor, and a stay would harm the public interest. Further, petitioners cannot make an adequate showing that they will be harmed without a stay.”
To view the entire response from Attorney General Harris, please visit the Los Cerritos Community News Web Site at www.loscerritosnews.net

Fall election
candidates begin
stacking up for
November balloting

Six candidates in Hawaiian
Gardens City Council, area school and college trustee
campaigns taking shape.

By Randy Economy

Candidates continued to file this week for local city council campaigns in Artesia and Hawaiian Gardens as well for seats on area school and college boards of trustees.
At Hawaiian Gardens City Hall, six candidates have begun the formal nomination process according to City Clerk Sue Underwood.
As of 10 a.m. Thursday, challenger Kathy Trimble has filed the required documents for the November 8th election.
Also taking out nomination papers are Mayor Mike Gomez, Councilman Victor Farfan, and challengers Janeth Arias, an Attorney at Law, Adrian Avelar, and Mauricio Arroyo.
In Artesia, incumbent Councilman Tony Lima has taken out nomination papers for reelection as has challenger Miguel Canales. Lima, who is finishing his first full four year term on the Artesia City Council, did confirm with the Los Cerritos Community News on Thursday morning that he will seek a second term.
For the ABC Unified School Board of Education, incumbent Board President Maynard Law has filed for reelection as well as Vice President Armin Reyes and Member Sophia Tse. Retired Cerritos businessman and community leader Mansour Meisami has also entered the campaign.
In addition, a special election will be held to fill the unexpired two year term of former board member Mark E. Pulido who was elected to the Cerritos City Council in March. So far, Ernie Nishi, a Cerritos attorney has been issued nomination papers and he told the Los Cerritos Community News on Wednesday that he will “definitely” be a candidate.
Rio Hondo College incumbent Gary Mendez has filed for reelection to his Area 4 district that includes Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs and Los Nietos. Mendez, who is seeking his fourth four year term on the Rio Hondo College Board is being challenged by Little Lake City School Board Ronald Lawrence.
In the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District campaign, incumbent school board member Karen Morrison has filed for reelection and challenger Jesse Urquidi has pulled nomination papers. Incumbent Lorraine Neal has yet to pull nomination papers.
Detailed information regarding the candidate filing process is available on the Registrar Recorder/County Clerk website www.lavote.

Hawaiian Gardens City Council debates
warrants and how they should be paid

Financial and Personnel Audit Requested.

By Jerry Bernstein

The discussion that keeps cropping up at the Hawaiian Gardens City Council meetings has to do with Warrants.
Should these bills be paid before the council approves them or after council approval? Warrants have been described as routine. They include payment for work that has been completed for the city under contract as well as miscellaneous fees such as insurance premiums. and expenses.
At its July 26 meeting the council gave its approval to pre-issued warrants and regular warrants in the amount of $2,041,222.51 with Mayor Mike Gomez, Mayor Pro Tem Michi Oyama-Canada and Councilmember Victor Far Fan approving them. Councilmembers Reynaldo Rodriguez and Barry Bruce abstained , commenting there was some warrants they agreed with and others they questioned. They did not want to go on record voting against all of them. They said they believed the council should review them before they are paid.
Bruce said he would like to see a financial and personnel audit and requested that it be put on the agenda for the council’s Aug. 9 meeting. He expressed his disconnect with approving pre-issued warrants and said there should be a committee to review all warrants before they come to the council for approval. “I don’t think this is fiscally responsible thing for us to do.” He said the council had discussed doing a fiscal and financial audit last year and he still feels one should be done now, especially since it looks like redevelopment money will soon be “out the door.” He said it was time for the council to become responsible and seriously look at the city’s finances, see where we can cut and if better fiscal planning is needed.
Councilmember Reynaldo Rodriguez agreed and said this was a huge amount of money. He asked what the monthly average was. Finance Director David Sung said it was not more than $1 million.
Councilmember Victor Farfan said he believes the city has been moving in a responsible direction, He said the council approved a balance budget,. “Right now we have $6 million in our rainy day fund. He also noted that in the budget the council voted to increase the amount being put into the city’s reserve was raised to $1 million annually. He said the city is doing due diligence in terms of financial planning. He said,” We have done this without sacrificing programs for our residents, and layoff employees. “In terms of financial responsibility we’re headed n the right direction.”
Rodriguez said he believes reviewing the warrants prior to their approval could save the city more money. “It looks good now, but we don’t know what the Governor may do in the future.”
Mayor Mike Gomez said Hawaiian Gardens has not had to lay off any city employee or put them on furlough similar to what other cities have done. “We have worked hard to cut expenses.” He said to say we have been neglectful is incorrect. Commenting on the Sports Complex under construction at Fedde Middle School, he said “Yes, the cost was estimated at $8 million, but $3 million was raised through grants and donations.” He said he understands when completed it will be under budget by $1 million. He said concerning warrants He believes that is standard in every city. Bruce disagreed saying he understands many cities review the warrants before approval is given.
In other business the council approved an amendment the city code requiring retailers to have a license before they can sell tobacco retailers. The council also approved the installation of eight stop signs on Belshire Avenue between 221st street and Brittain Street and painting 15 ft. of red curb approaching the intersection and 10 ft. of red curb leaving the intersection for the entire segment of Belshire Avenue and 221st Street to Brittain Street.

RESIDENTS
ACCUSE
LA PALMA POLICE
OF MAFIA TYPE
SHAKEDOWN

Community divided over labor
negotiations.

By Larry Caballero

During the Oral Communications at the July 19 La Palma City Council meeting, police and residents again shared a variety of opinions and concerns about labor negotiations with the police department.
Comments ranged from “We need our dedicated police officers, and we get our money’s worth with the police department,” to one resident stating residents were feeling like victims and experiencing “a mafia type shakedown.”
One officer said, “We are below the median in comparable cities for salaries and medical.” As for a resident’s concern about his and his family’s safety for speaking out on police pension reform, the officer said, “We are about righting wrongs and not perpetrating them.”
Resident Noella Lew asked the Council, “If you were burglarized, who would you call…we should be thanking our police department.”
Resident Robert Carruth again spoke about the need for the Council to support pension reform and “do what was fair, efficient and affordable while not impacting public safety.” He also reminded the Council, “Bad things happen to good people when they don’t live within their means.”
Long-time resident Cheryl Pappas expressed concern about previous comments by police officers that she considered to be “angry and confrontational” and questioned Officer Les Parsons who said that police could not afford to live in La Palma.
Pappas disagreed. “With a salary and benefits at more than $120,000 and a wife who is an attorney and a teacher, he earns more than the citizens of La Palma whose median level is $80,000.”
Pappas said that residents were feeling like victims and experiencing “a mafia type shakedown” when the police tell citizens how necessary they are in protecting the community, and how deserving they are of their salaries and benefits.
“Do the numbers,” said Pappas, “they do not lie.”
One of the last residents to speak had a daughter in law enforcement, and she expressed her admiration for the police department, yet she considered the comments of police officers at a recent Council meeting as “intimidating” to residents, and she was disillusioned with what she heard that night.
“I almost didn’t come back after what I had experienced. Intimidation should not be a part of La Palma.” She said that the City owed the residents, who brought up concerns about police benefits, “a debt of thanks for coming forward,” and she didn’t see the need for the police officers to feel the need “to extol their virtues” to the residents.
Former La Palma Mayor Keith Nelson said that he was disappointed with “the tone, tenor and content” of the last meeting. “It was embarrassing,” said Nelson. He reminded the Council that everyone who lives in the City is positive about the police department.
“The only negative comments have come from the police. Of late, a movement is at foot in the police association that’s disturbing. It’s a choice they made to become police officers, and they are compensated very well.”
Nelson reminded the Council that police have earned a 16% raise over the last three years, and officers earn more than $100,000 a year with salary and benefits. “We cannot continue to fund their pension program going forward. We just can’t afford it. Where are you going to get the money?”
Nelson encouraged the police department “to step back and see what is going on in the real world,” and reminded the Council that they represent all 16,000 residents of the City, and not only 24 police officers.
Former La Palma Mayor Larry Herman said that “no one is advocating the replacing of the police department with any thing else,” but since the other labor bargaining units have already settled with the City and accepted pension reform and a second tier in the salary structure, so should the police.
“It’s only fair,” said Herman. Herman concluded by warning everyone present that prolonged negotiations with the police association “is dividing the City.”

La Palma Mayor Presents State of the City

2011-04-29T17:54:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

La Palma Mayor Ralph Rodriguez thanked the Chamber of Commerce for hosting the State of the City Address Apr. 21 at the La Palma Community Center. He stated sales tax generates 32.4% of the City’s revenues, and La Palma is 188 of the 538 cities in the state of California in sales tax per capita generated. Rodriguez is proud of corporate support for City projects and events from La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, Southern California Edison, EDCO Waste and Recycling Services and others.
“We have great schools,” said Rodriguez, “all of our elementary schools are California Distinguished Schools with high test scores We partner with these schools by offering scholarships, improving a pedestrian crossing at Kennedy High and Walker Junior High, funding crossing guards at all of the public schools, and support for numerous campus events.”
The City is also proud of its Police Interacting with Youth (PIY) program; Fit n’ Fun, an after school fitness program; and its goal of meeting with every school to discuss improving traffic and pedestrian safety.
He said the city is responding to the economy. “Our Permit Fee Holiday has saved our residents more than $70,000 in fees waived, and we maintained or lowered all user fees in 2010.”
The City authorized $235,900 of reserves to keep the Utility User’s Tax reduced to 4% in three of the last four years while keeping the General Fund Reserves at 140% of annual ongoing operating expenditures “with no cuts in services, no lay offs, and no furloughs,” said Rodriguez.
Fiscal year 2010-2011 total budget revenues were $25,002,450 and budget expenses were $27,953,661. This $2 million dollar shortfall was due to several long-term capital projects that were fully funded by water and sewer enterprise reserves, but the City’s goal for 2011-12 is to balance the operating budget without use of reserves.
At the same time, the City will be entering 2011 labor negotiations. Rodriguez said, “Our employees are the key reason we are able to provide high quality service to our residents and businesses, and we fully expect to partner with our employees to face our financial challenges together.”
Rodriguez is pleased with the City’s own police department that handled 29,144 calls for service last year while total crime is down .05% and violent crimes are down 55%. Only property crimes showed an increase of 4.5%.
“We’re working to improve those numbers by implementing Real Time Crime Maps on the City website and on Mobile Biometric ID and Digital Citations Systems.”
La Palma has the county’s fastest response time at 2:36 minutes while the county’s average is 5:38 minutes.
La Palma has completed or is working on several beautification projects that included arterial block wall repair & painting, street sign replacement and a utility underground project. The City is also working with Centerpointe to fully occupy the site, reviewing the option of a University of Phoenix campus and planning for the opening of a Super 1 Mart in Sept.
“We are proud of our little city that continues to do big things,” said Rodriguez. “Our 30th Annual Run For Fun set records, our summer Concerts in the Park are filling to capacity, and we welcome everyone to attend our La Palma Days celebration, Halloween Carnival at Central Park, Holiday Tree Lighting and Memorial Day event.”
The city’s has a diverse population of 15,719 that includes 44.9% Asian and Pacific Islander, 17.4% Korean, in a 1.9 square mile radius in north Orange County, and with a median household income of $80K.
More than 70% of its residents have some college or advanced degree, and 65% are between the ages of 15-59—a demographic that Rodriguez said businesses like to see because this is the population that tends to consume more products.
Rodriguez said that there is a great business climate in La Palma with many businesses choosing the City as their home including BP America, ADP, Unisource, Rosendin Electric and Multi-Sales Company, adding that many of the businesses are located in the City’s multi-office complex center named Centerpointe.

Hawaiian Gardens Post Office Seeks New City Location

2011-04-29T17:53:00.003-07:00

By Jerry Bernstein

The Hawaiian Gardens Post Office is looking for a new location in the city and is asking residents for their input.
Speaking before the city council this week, John Fraher said the Post Office plans to move to a smaller location and be open for business by Oct. 1.
He said the new Post Office would offer residents the same service they now receive, including post office mailboxes, the mailing of letters and packages, selling Stamps etc. “The only difference is all outgoing mail will be sorted at the Los Alamitos Post Office for distribution. Mail will be delivered in Hawaiian Gardens the same as it is now, and residents should not notice any difference in service.
Fraher said they would like comments from the residents on the selection of a new location. Comment sheets are available at city hall and the Post Office and can be dropped off at the Post Office located on the southwest corner of Norwalk Boulevard and Centralia Street. The council will place the matter on its next agenda for public comment.
In other business the council presented Ferguson Elementary School with a $5,000 donation for its 6th Grade Science Camp. Principal Mayra Lozano said the camp is held on the first week in June and consists of the school’s two sixth grade classes with 28 students in each class. Ferguson is a Title I school serving a total of approximately 427 students.
The Council voted to amend the Community Development Block Grant Residential Rehabilitation Program guidelines. Community Development Director Joseph Colombo explained the program was established to provide financial assistance to low and moderate income homeowners and mobile homebuyers in the preservation of decent, safe and sanitary housing and to rehabilitate hazardous and/or deteriorating residential units. Colombo said currently the program offers financial assistance to low and moderate-income homeowners and mobile homeowners.
Councilmember Barry Bruce asked why the city’s mobile home parks appear to be getting “more grants” than other city residents. He said the mobile home residents receiving the grants are “overwhelming” compared to the rest of the city and questioned the legitimacy of the situation. He also said he didn’t understand how people who receive a “$3,000 or $5,000 grant complain because they have to wait 10 years before they can apply for another grant.”
“I think our city is pretty amazing to give grants in the first place. We give lots of money away as a city” to those in need. Bruce commented.
“If you get a $5,000 grant, just accept it and say ‘thank you’ and not ask for more,” he commented. Bruce said he would like to see more $5,000 grants going to other areas of the community.
The council also amended the city’s fee schedule for municipal services provided by Hawaiian Gardens. In his report to the council, Director of Human Services Steve Gomez said changes were being presented to the council for approval to assist groups in their fundraising goals while at the same time allowing the city to properly monitor the use of the facilities. He said it has become a practice to permit residents to use city facilities for receptions at no cost. In the future they will be obligated to purchase liability insurance.
The amended proposals also increase the hourly rate charged for a Recreation Leader to work at the facility rental from $20 per hour to $25 per hour.
Gomez said the increase would allow the city to stay within the budgeted amount of funding available for staff work. The council also approved a change governing temporary signs and banners lowering the current fee of $107 to $25.00.
A request from the Community Development Department to accept the repair of the existing shade and patio structure located between the City Hall and the Robert Lee Gymnasium in the amount of $59,450 was approved by the council. Councilmember’s Reynaldo Rodriguez and Barry Bruce complimented the workers of the H.D. R. Construction Co. of Hawaiian Gardens for their excellent work.

Thirteen Candidates to be Interviewed for Vacant ABC School Board Seat

2011-04-29T17:53:00.001-07:00

Thirteen candidates have filed for the ABC School Board seat vacated by Mark Pulido who was recently elected to the Cerritos City Council. The candidates are Adarsh Sunak, Mansour Meisami, Louise Dodson, Anna Titus, Harunobu Ernie Nishi, Cindy Chen, David Montgomery, Ehan Robinson, Olga Rios, Kiran Rami, Lynda Johnson and Helen Lee.
Interviews will be held Sat., Apr. 30, in the Board Room in the District Administrative Building on Norwalk Boulevard starting at 8:30 a.m. through 9:40 a.m. when there will be a 10 minute break. At 9:50 a.m. the interviews will continue with the last one scheduled for 10:40 a.m. This will be followed by public comments beginning at 10:50 a.m. and ending at 11:30 a.m. at which time the Board Members will take a lunch break at Whitney High School. Following lunch the members will meet to select the top three candidates. At 12:55 p.m. the Board Members will meet to discuss the final candidates and at 1:15 p.m. will vote. The winning candidate will then be given the oath of office.

CareMore Launches New Foundation to Help Support Local Non-Profit Senior Based Groups

2011-04-29T17:52:00.002-07:00

By Brian Hews

A little under two years ago, a few employees from CareMore entered into the CEO’s office with an idea.
“We love our seniors, we love the community, but we need to figure out a way to mobilize money and our staff equally to serve others in the areas we serve” they said.
With that, the CareMore Foundation was established with one sole mission, to give back to those truly in need.
“The CareMore Foundation was an idea of our employees, management only facilitated its formation”, said Leeba Lessin, CEO of CareMore Health Plan. “That same group of people have taken the ball and run with it.”
The Foundation recently announced that its first major project for 2011 will focus on senior hunger, especially in these dire economic times of $5 a gallon gasoline and out of control food costs.
“Countless numbers of our local seniors go hungry, sadly it is becoming a daily reality for many,” said Lessin. “Seniors who don’t get enough to eat, or don’t have the money for food or who cannot get to the store for food often have compromised health due to their nutritional limitations. We want to help improve these dire hunger statistics in the communities where we provide medical care to so many seniors already.”
Case workers at CareMore validated that statement after conducting a recent survey.
"We can really help with providing food, so we wanted to make that the main mission of the CareMore Foundation,” said Lessin.
Initially the group will provide grants to local senior-focused non-profit organizations but that resources and volunteer support from the staff at CareMore will soon follow.
CareMore has made a $250,000 donation to the “kick start” the Foundation and applications will be available soon for local community based non-profit groups to participate.
Members of the CareMore Foundation Board of Directors include:
Alan Hoops, John Kao, Leeba Lessin. Advisory Committee Charlene Colbert, county of Pima; Gail Holmes, Stanislaus; Susan Mora, Orange County; Karen Riggs, Cerritos; James Rose, Cerritos; Erika Tigno, Cerritos and Jeffrey Tipton, Cerritos.
Regional Leadership includes Leticia Aceves, San Bernardino; Cheri Brown, Stanislaus; Reggie Casilang, Rachel Cruz, Charla Hawkins and Kerry Sequeira, LA/OC; Diana Garrido and Cindy Lynch, Clark; Scott Mancuso, Maricopa; Dan Peterson, Pima; Beje Schweitzer, Santa Clara and Theresa Weaver, Riverside.
It is anticipated that these leadership groups will be expanding over the next several months to include additional local community leaders.
The main purpose is about “giving” but other possible projects could include pilot projects such as how certain new drugs work on seniors. “The possibilities are endless,” said Erika Tigno, Chair of the CareMore Advisory Group.
Tigno , a long time resident of Cerritos and CareMore employee has a “keen insight” on the real needs for seniors right here in our neighborhoods.
Additional details will be announced here in the Los Cerritos Community News in the next few weeks. For more information call Kristen at CareMore at (562) 622-2807.

Artesia: State of the City

2011-04-29T17:52:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

Artesia Mayor Victor Manalo presented the State of the City Address Apr. 27 at a luncheon sponsored by the Artesia Chamber of Commerce at the DES Portuguese Hall in Artesia.
“I am excited to share with you my overall vision for the city, which includes our upcoming Capital Projects, our budget health and outlook, and our plans to improve the quality of life for all Artesians,” said Manalo.
“We’re proud of our Capital Projects that will be funded mostly by Redevelopment money that include $1,160,703 for our Historical District, almost $4 million for a Parking Structure in our Downtown area, more than $2 million for upgrading our Maintenance Yard, an additional $3 million for Downtown Revitalization projects and $142,000 for the Artesia Boulevard Corridor.”
Manalo stated that City Manager Maria Dadian was very excited when she saw “lots of construction, buildings and dirt. We’ve waited a long time for this.”
Yet Manalo is concerned with the state budget crisis and a threat of losing Redevelopment funds.
Artesia’s General Fund Appropriations include:
• more than $3 million or 44% of the budget for General Administration,
• $2.6 million or 38% for Public Safety,
• $566,500 for Community Promotions and Park & Leisure Services,
• $402,622 for Building & Economic Development and
• $356,148 for Public Works & Engineering.
Artesia’s General Fund Revenue of more than $7 million includes a major portion from
• $4,624,000 in taxes,
• $878,254 from User Fees, and
• $590,620 from Use of Property/public right of way.
“The problem that Artesia and all of the cities face is the reliance of tax revenues to pay our bills,” said Manalo. In tough economic times, cities need to find ways of balancing the budget by cutting services or raising fees or both.
“We get no General Fund revenue from property taxes that means a loss of more than $900,000 to our city. Yet as Mayor I am humbled with the support and cooperation we receive from our businesses and friends.” Manalo wants to diversify revenue sources in the future.
Manalo made it clear that Artesia is not having the problems that the City of Bell is experiencing, yet “residents need to always be vigilant, and they also share responsibility for what happens in our City.”
Manalo is excited about instituting Town Hall meetings that gives him the opportunity to interact with residents and businesses, and he plans to continue encouraging everyone to attend.
He is also pleased with the City’s participation in the Artesia Initiative with New Life Church where residents will be given the opportunity to help their neighbors and schools with city projects that include house and yard cleaning.
I also want to build a Veterans Memorial in Artesia,” said Manalo. “That was the dream of former Mayor Larry Nelson who contributed $14,000 of his own money before he died.” Manalo concluded, “Artesia is a great city. Visit us whenever you can, and be ready to shop around the world while enjoying the diversity of cultures in one place.” The city has a diverse population that includes 36.7% Asian, 31.1% Hispanic and 24.2% White
Artesia is one of the county’s Gateway Cities. It was incorporated on May 29, 1959. The 2000 census showed the population at16,380.. Its population in July 2009 was16,182, a population change since 2000 of -1.2%. Estimated median household income in 2009 was $49,243. Estimated per capita income in 2009 was $18,677. The city is surrounded on the west, south, and east sides by Cerritos, with Norwalk to the north.

Senior Apartment Complex Holds Easter Luncheon

2011-04-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Residents at Town Center Terrace, a gated senior community in the city of Paramount, enjoyed an Easter Luncheon with family members and friends Apr. 22. There are 158 one-bedroom apartments, each approximately 520 sq. ft. with dishwasher, gas range oven, air conditioning, a private balcony and a emergency pull cord if needed. The apartments are located at 16200 Vermont Avenue in Paramount. For more information call 562-408-0801. According to Community Relations Consultant Mary Lou Landes, residents will be next be celebrating Mothers Day on May 8.

Vons Grocery truck crash on 5 Freeway causes traffic nightmare in Norwalk

2011-04-29T17:50:00.002-07:00

By Randy Economy

Norwalk-The Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate 5) at the Norwalk Boulevard/Civic Center Drive was turned into a massive parking lot for nearly eight hours last Saturday when a Von’s Supermarket truck exploded after it hit a center divider travelling south bound.
The driver of the big rig was arrested and booked for suspicion of being under the influence of a “controlled substance.” His name has not been made public and neither has details of his bail or court appearances been released.
Nearly 30 to 50 yards of the metal center divider on the narrow three lane freeway was smashed as a result of the accident, adding additional headaches for commuters and law enforcement officials.
The accident was reported at 9:58 a.m. and turned most of Norwalk and Cerritos residential streets and main through fares into a traffic nightmare for nearly ten hours.
The entire freeway was closed after the big rig ran into the center divider and literally "blew up."
Other than the driver of the truck who was taken to an area hospital and treated for minor injuries, no one else was injured.

Artesia Council Honors Gahr Basketball Team

2011-04-29T17:50:00.001-07:00

Members of the Gahr High School Basketball Tyeam, CIF Southern Section Division 24 Champions were presented with Certificates of Recognition by the Artesia Citiy Council at its Apr. 11 meeting. Mayor Victor Manalo Told the team “Artesia looks upon Gahr as our high school.” He said the city was very proud of their achievement.

Norwalk Scholarship Fundraiser

2011-04-29T17:49:00.001-07:00

LULAC Council #3148 in Norwalk is sponsoring their 2nd Annual Tardeada
Scholarship Fundraiser (see article for more details). Seen are event planners Margarita Rios, Member of the Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District Board of Education, Antonieta Paez, President of the United Parents Club, Patricia Paez, LULAC Member, LULAC Council #3148 President Rosa Barragan, and Vice President Lupe Rodarte.

St. Irenaeus’ Lil’ Angel

2011-04-29T17:48:00.001-07:00

By Edna Ethington

St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress has a “Lil’ Angel” actively working each day to share God’s blessing with everyone she meets. Betty Borowski is that “Lil’ Angel” who enriches the lives of people in the parish as a member of Health Ministry and a member of the parish staff. Starting first as a volunteer Pastoral Care member, she conducted funeral vigils, served also as a Hospitality Minister for funerals, and trained others to become Vigil and Hospitality ministers. She also served as a Lector, a Eucharistic Minister, a Bible Study Facilitator, and assisted the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program.
Betty’s volunteer service was so outstanding that she was nominated for the Catholic Woman of the Year Award in the Diocese of Orange in 2003 representing St. Irenaeus Parish. She really continues to be St. Irenaeus’ Catholic Woman of Today and she generously continues to serve parishioners in more and more ways each day. How does a woman become so full of spiritual energy and dedication to serve others as a Catholic Christian?
Betty was not a “cradle Catholic,” but one who became a Catholic after a few extraordinary experiences. She was a police officer for four years when her husband died unexpected from a heart attack in 1979 and left her to raise three children, ages 16,15, and 9. She continued to work in police work to support her family and became a detective in 1980. She was known then as Detective Malone and even carried a gun. The stress of the job caused her to seek a disability retirement in 1990, and that is when her conversion to the Catholic faith began.
Betty went on a pilgrimage trip to Yugoslavia with a friend who was ill. It was said that the Virgin Mary appeared to some children in Medugorje. People went to Medugorje hoping for cures for their ills, much like people who go to Fatima. While she was there, she prayed for a sign that God wanted her to become a Catholic. The sign she asked for was to have the silver parts of the rosary that had been given to her by her friend to be changed to a gold color. This did not occur while Betty was in Yugoslavia but other events happened during the trip.
A second unusual event happened while she was on her trip in the port city of Dubrovnik. As Betty received a blessing of her throat at St. Blaze Church, she experienced the sensations of being “slain in the spirit” as she felt a wave through her body and could not keep standing. She said she felt peace and serenity as she lay on the floor for a few minutes. The tickle in her throat and the cough she had, before the blessing of her throat at St. Blaze, were both gone. The rosary that she had used during the trip to Medugorje still had not turned to gold, so after her return home, she took a trip to visit her son up north. When she returned from that trip a week later, the silver chain of that rosary had turned to gold. She showed the rosary to a priest at St. Irenaeus while it was gold, and the priest said that “miracles happen.” With that sign received, Betty began her two year education in the RCIA at St. Irenaeus and was confirmed in 1992.
Betty said that she “sees God’s hand” in many miracles that she has experienced since Medugorje, God’s Spirit has guided Betty throughout her journey in faith to become a Catholic and to live her faith life to the fullest. It was after her Confirmation as Catholic in 1991 that she became active in all the activities that she became involved with in the parish and continues to work hard at all that she does both as volunteer or as a staff member.
Betty has taken many hours of training to be better able to help parishioners at St. Irenaeus. She completed 28 hours of workshops with the Center for Health Ministry Outreach in 2005 to help with the Funeral Ministry. She also attended eight sessions for a total of 20 hours of the Bereavement Training Program with The Catholic Cemeteries Department of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2007. Most recently, she completed four weekends of eight days for a total of 64 hours of Capacitar International training in 2010 and 2011 to be able to help people deal with stress in their lives.
Betty’s work is so vital to the parish that Betty was hired as a Support Staff member at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in 2006. She is now paid to work part-time as a minister for funeral vigils and as hospitality minister for funeral. She also works with the Adult Formation Committee and does other secretarial work as needed. After working in Graphic Arts for a business by the name of “Taylor Your Memories” for three years, she designs professional quality flyers, bulletins, mass aids, invitations, and special notes that showcase her creative talents. Her work can be identified by the logo, “A Lil’ Angel Publication.”
Betty says that “the rosary is still my mainstay” as she meditates on the Mysteries of the Rosary as well as the readings from the Bible each day, and as she studies the Bible each week. She said that God has brought so much into her life, from her loneliness and emptiness, so that now, she says, “My plate is truly full.” Betty and Richard Borowski each raised two sons and one daughter, for a total of six children. They are now enjoying being grandparents of nine grandchildren together.

RE: “Cerritos and Union Negotiations Stalemated” (4-22)

2011-04-29T17:47:00.002-07:00

-As a long time resident and business owner in Cerritos, I love this city and its workers, businesses and residents. The city employees work hard, just like the employees of all the other fine businesses in our City. But times are tough right now and employees of the city should NOT be exempt from making sacrifices that everyone else in the private sector is having to make until things turn.
We do have a problem when the unions are doing what they can to make the city employees think they are more deserving or better that than those they serve. .. and guess who still gets their hefty dues no matter what - the greedy unions. Everyone needs to be part of the solution and make some sacrifices. From the top to the bottom. No one should be exempt. Stop being greedy.
Web submittal
Name on file

-The Unions aren't making this any easier. They have GOLD PLATED benefits and they are walking around like they are poor. The Union is doing what they do best...misrepresent the facts and stir up emotion. All their materials contain very little factual information but contain LOTS of rhetoric.
Web submittal
Name on file

-I retired from Los Angeles City and now work for another. L.A. City Pension gives 2.1% of yearly wages for every year worked. Cerritos gives 3%. The current City I work for has eliminated Friday work days, laid off employees and has not given raises for years. You do not see any Cerritos employee leaving for another City job!!!
Web submittal
Name on file

Council Compensation & Contract Conflict

2011-04-29T17:47:00.001-07:00

Currently, Council pay is linked to that of city management. Council members who derive the majority of their personal income from their position on the Cerritos city council have a big conflict of interest, especially when negotiating city employee contracts which their own primary income is tied to. Regardless of which council initially set council pay policy, the current council is charged with dealing with it. Yet our city council instead uses the “other cities are doing it” dodge instead of debating in public the propriety of doing so.
It would only take three city council members with courage and honesty to both end the employee union impasse and put a decisive end to the outmoded policy of council pay being linked to that of city management.
Cerritos is a Charter City, which means the city charter is the law. A council majority can direct staff to de-link city council service from employee contracts and further rescind council pay/benefits all together.
That this has gone on so long is no excuse to keep it going, it’s a reason to act immediately and decisively to reject the culture of conflict that permeates the dealings of the Cerritos City Council.
Chris Fuentes
Cerritos

Note: RE: “Cerritos and Union Negotiations Stalemated” (4-22-11) LCCN stands by what Mr. Caballero wrote in the article “Cerritos and Union Negotiat

2011-04-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

-It is remarkable that despite
AFSCME Local 619 members providing your reporter, Larry Caballero, substantial information, budget numbers, salary information from the State Controller’s Office about the City Manager and City Council compensation, and other public-interest facts in recent days – as well as our own views as City employees – only some 5 percent of the story’s content reflects the perspective of our union, while 95% is dedicated to Mayor Chen’s unfortunately polarizing rebukes.
I was hired as one of the original Cerritos Center of the Performing Arts employees and was there when the doors opened to the community. I remain a dedicated public employee proud of the cultural richness that Cerritos provides. I am recognized for being thoughtful and reasonable about finding equitable budget solutions and working together. Yet almost nothing of what I told your newspaper ultimately appeared in print. Is a fundamental tenet of journalism no longer to present a balanced and fair story?
After everything this country, state, and community has suffered with the “big guy” taking advantage of the “little guy” over the last several years, it is particularly incumbent upon our media to present responsible information.
Perhaps City of Cerritos leadership and Mayor Chen should reflect on the sense of paying $270 per hour to an outside consultant, Beverly Hills-based attorneys Charles Goldstein and his son. Let’s do some basic math together, since your article chose not to: If said consultant is working eight hour days at the hourly amount you quoted, that math yields a payout of over half a million dollars annually.
What results have come from that cost to the City taxpayers? For starters, this consultant – who has earned tens of thousands of dollars already – has created bitter labor-management division, not positive collaborative solutions. Now, for the first time in Cerritos, a negotiations impasse could be imposed on City employees despite all of the good will and concessions we have made. This is also bad for the community, which deserves a functioning and healthy City government.
It is my hope that your newspaper will have the integrity to publish my response.
Rogan Girard
Cerritos

-I am very disappointed with the comments that Mayor Chen made in this article. This casts unfair, negative attention to the city, the residents, and to my union brothers and sisters. When all the smoke settles - the truth will shine through! The community will continue to grow in support for us – and greater government accountability and openness – once the City Council's huge part-time salaries and perks are exposed in a serious news story. Their car allowances, office toys and electronic gadgets, cell phone bills, etc., are out of hand. We are filing Public Information Requests to obtain the relevant data, and will hope that in fairness, you will print it in a responsible and balanced follow-up. The Council members also get lifetime medical for themselves and their spouses after five years of service – but they are asking many of us to wait 20 years. This is a double standard.
They also are demanding that lower-level workers add a three-tier, unfair pension plan. In addition, they no longer will even recognize our service with plaques, recommendations, certificates that cost the taxpayer nothing but mean a lot to us since we take pride in our work.
We love our jobs and serving the community. We agreed to make major concessions throughout the negotiations process including to no pay raises in years and a gazillion other examples that we have the paperwork to prove. At the same time, Cerritos City Manager Art Gallucci, overseeing a population of under 50,000 is earning more than the CAO of the City of Los Angeles, which serves four million people. These kind of excesses and double standards should have been reported in your story because your readers have a right to know.
Now is the time for Cerritos to demand straight answers, good faith, and collaboration from City Hall. The Mayor has declared war on its rank-and-file employees to deflect attention from the truth. It is up to your readers – the residents we serve -- to call for City accountability and civility with its employees."

Robert "Nick" Melendrez, President of Local 619, City of Cerritos Employee

Union: "Biased" article; will withhold further correspondence from LCCN

2011-04-29T17:45:00.004-07:00

RE: “Cerritos and Union
Negotiations Stalemated” (4-22)
Note: Letter sent to LCCN from
AFSCME publicity representative

The story that you ran on Friday was slanted by any standard.
City employees deserve to be heard and your community newspaper has an obligation to provide fair and balanced coverage -- which it has not. If we are to build any trust, if you want access to news and information that is important for your readers, then you will publish these letters (Editor's note: the two published previous to this letter) immediately in your online version. This is the least you can do now. If you will print it, I will additionally submit an editorial representing the employee view that was entirely absent in your coverage, and we can discuss scheduling that.
The information and facts that your reporter was provided by us over countless hours and days did not even appear in print -- instead, the Mayor was given unlimited access to "respond" -- from literally the very first paragraph, before even our viewpoint was relayed to your readers (you need not read beyond even the lead for evidence of your bias).
Again, if you want to restore a reputation for journalistic integrity, please let me know your intentions on the Letters to the Editor today. We are waiting for your answer. I will be the point person on labor-related stories from now on.
I will gladly share additional news and valuable information that we have been collecting, once I know your newspaper can be trusted to print fair stories.

Sejong Soloists with Orli Shaham at Cerritos: the Future and Seasons are Bright

2011-04-29T17:45:00.003-07:00

By Glen Creason

After much classical Sturm and Drang this season at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts the Sejong Soloists came to town and provided the hall with genuine happiness in the form of Felix Mendelsshon, Michael Haydn and the suddenly Cerritos star Astor Piazzola. It is amazing that so much young talent could be assembled on one stage but these soloists put an honest-to-goodness all-star team to work and their youthful enthusiasm mixed with superior talent make for some very beautiful music. These musicians hail from all over the globe and together they speak the same sweet language of classical music. If only the people of this messed up planet could operate like these young artists and work together in harmony we could listen to Mendellshon and Piazzola instead of watching battles in the streets. Most of these young men and women are the cream of the crop from schools like Julliard but their egos seemed not to show on this night as they worked together delightfully.
The fourteen-member troupe filled the hall with joy from the first note of Michael Haydn’s “Notturno in F Major” that got the audience upright in their seats and ready for more. Despite being in his more famous brother’s shadow Michael Haydn’s work is wonderful and influential on later composers such as the great Mozart. This piece was cake in the hands of Sejong, producing a bright and energetic tone throughout. The second part of the program featured the demanding and somewhat eccentric “Four Seasons” of Astor Piazzola that was divided between four excellent soloists. The violinists: Adam Barnett-Hart, Ji In Yang, Emilie-Anne Gendron and Ana Park were uniquely wonderful, reflecting not so much the change of seasons but the emotions of the people of Piazzola’s native Buenos Aires. To hear the four parts done as a suite was fascinating since they seemed to fit together perfectly despite the fact that the composer wrote them as separate entities. With the four soloists shining in each segment it seemed this might be hard to beat but there was a very special second half ahead.
The audience needed a little breather after Piazzola’s intricate Seasons but the concert just got better and better. When pianist Orli Shahan put her slender fingers to the big Steinway worries seemed to melt away and the audience was transported to the Romantic period where the true genius Felix Mendelssohn wrote this “concerto in d minor for violin, piano and string orchestra” back when he was barely a teenager! This is not to short the superb work of violinist Daniel Cho who matched Ms. Shahan’s perfect playing and this sweet synergy made for some marvelously stirring moments. It was not the back and forth that this piece could be but a cooperation that elevated the music to blessed heights. Orli Shahan is in a handful of the best pianists heard in this hall’s history and it would be very nice to see her back on this stage some night in a recital. As it was she was very humble and thankful to play with this fine young group who demonstrated over and over again that the future is bright for serious music around the world. The rather refined and

Kennedy High Prepares For Budget Reductions

2011-04-29T17:45:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

Anaheim Union High School District’s Kennedy High School in La Palma is hoping for the best but preparing for the worst if further budget cuts are necessary. Over the past three years, the District has been required to reduce more than $70 million from its $350 million budget resulting in the elimination of more than 400 certified, classified and management positions.
The District is required to address the anticipated preliminary $13 million budget shortfall through reductions that will impact students, programs and personnel across the District.
“We have been informed by the District that at least our International Baccalaureate Program, that offers high quality programs that encourage our students to be active learners, will not be eliminated this year,” said Kennedy Principal Russell Earnest.
Yet the school with 2,300 students, grades 9 through 12, may still suffer with larger class sizes and loss of classified employee hours. It is anticipated that each of the 16 junior and senior high school campuses in the District may also lose an assistant principal as well as a custodian.
Earnest said that there is a collegial relationship between the District and the various unions, but there is always a possibility of furlough days and salary rollbacks.
Earnest is a veteran of AUHSD who served as an administrator and teacher before he arrived at Kennedy in Sept. 2010 as its Principal. “My hope is to keep budget cuts as far away as possible from the classroom and to maintain the rigorous academic programs that we offer our students,” said Earnest.

Cerritos Rookies win CGSA Spring 10U Tournament

2011-04-29T17:44:00.001-07:00

Coach Jerry, Coach Adrian, Coach Lyn, Coach Mike, Nyla, Rachel, Emily, Caitlyn, Madison, Puffy, Karina, Haylee, Cassie, Peanut, Natalie, Karyssa.

SUBURBAN LEAGUE BASEBALL: Lopez, Norwalk stymied at home again, John Glenn goes on rare hitting barrage

2011-04-29T17:43:00.002-07:00

By Loren Kopff

For Norwalk baseball head coach Ruben Velazquez, it has been looking more and more like Groundhog Day whenever his team is hosting a Suburban League opponent. For the third time in as many home starts in league action, senior pitcher Johnnie Lopez was the victim of either no run support or poor defense behind him.
Lopez and his Lancers fell to John Glenn 2-0 last Thursday, the fourth time Norwalk has lost a home league game. Lopez has been the pitcher of decision in two of those games, not getting any run support and only six hits combined from his team. The loss also kept the Lancers (9-9 overall, 3-5 in the league) from staying tied with Artesia for fourth place in the circuit.
“That’s all you need in this game; to come out with a little bit of heart and want to win,” Velazquez said. “You can’t win on paper. You have to show up to play.”
Based on paper, one would think Norwalk would have somewhat of an easy time against the Eagles who entered the game on a six-game losing streak and having scored six runs during that span. In fact, Glenn (5-13, 2-8) had scored 35 runs and produced 87 hits entering last Thursday’s game. But the Eagles peppered Lopez and two other pitchers to the tune of 14 hits, second most this season.
“We played a tough game with them on Tuesday,” said John Glenn assistant coach Kevin Barr. “We left some runs on the field. We felt like we could get a win [today] if we could just play well, play smart and play together. We told the seniors this is their last shot at Norwalk.”
Barr coached the final half of the game following an ejection to head coach David Cruz in the middle of the fourth inning. The visitors from the east side of the city got to Lopez in the third when senior right fielder Alex Sanchez was safe on an infield single with two outs. Following a single to left field from senior pitcher John Lemos, Sanchez would come home on a single from senior designated hitter Ruben Gomez.
That would be enough for Lemos, who was making his first start of the season. After walking sophomore left fielder Jesse Rodriguez to begin Norwalk’s half of the first, Lemos retired 12 of the next 14 batters he faced. Lemos allowed four hits, walked one, struck out four and had only one runner reach third base. He improved to 3-0 on the season and was the fourth Glenn pitcher to go the distance.
“We felt we would roll the dice today and let him go and he was nails out there,” Barr said. “There was maybe one ball hit hard all day. The guys played hard behind him and he mixed up his pitches. He kept the middle of their order off the base paths which was huge.”
Despite scoring just two runs, the Eagles constantly put pressure on the Norwalk pitchers, collecting at least one hit in six of the seven innings but putting runners on base in every inning. Barr said the team spent 90 minutes in the batting cages the day before. However, Glenn also stranded 11 runners.
In the top of the fourth, senior catcher Octavio Trejo reached on one of three Norwalk errors. Then junior shortstop Edgar Hernandez reached on another error and Glenn was looking to add to its lead when sophomore second baseman Rene Gayton sent a fly ball to left field. Apparently Cruz thought Rodriguez had trapped the ball while diving forward. But the field umpire called it a catch and it would lead to a rare triple play much to the chagrin on Cruz, who argued but to no avail.
“A triple play is pretty exciting,” Velazquez said. “If that doesn’t light this team up, then I don’t know what does. I just don’t have an answer for the inconsistency. Coming off of that Mayfair win, I thought that was the spark to turn the season around and finish off the season strong.”
The Lancers were hoping to feed off of the defensive gem and were looking to tie the game when junior catcher German Vasquez led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and stole second. But he got stranded there. In the next inning, Lopez had an infield single, went to second on a sacrifice from senior shortstop Skyler Bautista and to third on a single from sophomore second baseman Anthony Gonzales. But two pitches later, Rodriguez failed on a bunt attempt which resulted in a double play.
Glenn scored its second run in the sixth on four straight singles, the last from Gayton plating senior pinch runner Juan Rojas. Sanchez went three for four for the Eagles while five other players had a pair of hits. The Eagles, who played four games in the St. Paul Tournament earlier in the week, are off until they host Bellflower on May 10 in the final week of the regular season. The Lancers, who were also in the St. Paul Tournament, will visit Cerritos on Wednesday. After the home and home series with the Dons, Norwalk will wrap up the regular season with La Mirada. Artesia began this week at 3-3 in league play as the Pioneers host Cerritos today. Norwalk split its home and home series with the Pioneers but owns the run differential tiebreaker should the two finish tied at the end of the regular season.
“In their eyes, they set the plan as spoilers,” Velazquez said of his city rivals. “I don’t see any quit [in Glenn].”

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY LEAGUE SOFTBALL: Gahr still searching for clutch hits, falls to Paramount

2011-04-29T17:43:00.001-07:00

By Loren Kopff

In the last two seasons, third place in the San Gabriel Valley League has come down to Gahr and Paramount. Last season, the Pirates had already clinched the league’s final automatic playoff bid before taking the field against Gahr on the last day of the regular season.
Paramount won that game and this past Tuesday, the Gladiators were hoping to extract some revenge and get the midseason advantage on third place. But the Pirates erupted for six runs in the top of the third inning and went on to crush the hosts 8-3 that left Gahr head coach Mike Rogers one frustrated person. He was frustrated at his team’s inability to get that one key hit with runners in scoring position. He was frustrated in his team’s inability to cash in on a bases loaded, nobody out situation in the fifth with the top of the lineup coming up to bat. Most of all, he was frustrated because he saw his team drop to 6-12 overall, 2-2 in the league and still two games with league leading Warren yet to play.
“I felt we were going to do a lot better job than what we did,” Rogers said. “I felt that we underperformed. We left a lot of base runners stranded once again and I don’t know why that is. I’m very frustrated right now.”
Gahr senior pitcher Marissa Frese, in just her third start of the season since returning from a torn meniscus injury, was rock solid in the first two innings, getting five ground ball outs and throwing 20 pitches. But all of that changed in the third inning. With two on and one out, Monica Caporal singled in Melissa Yepez. After Frese walked Jenny Collazo to load the bases, Sydney Roumeliotis took the first pitch she saw and smacked a single that ricocheted off of Frese’s right knee, past senior shortstop Erica Willig and into the outfield for two more runs. Rogers immediately pulled Frese from the game and replaced her with freshman Mel Varela. Four of Paramount’s seven hits came in that inning and 10 batters came to the plate.
“In the first couple of innings, she was good,” Rogers said of Frese. “She had good command of her pitches. I felt in the third, she got a little tired and obviously they caught up to her. They were hitting the ball hard up the middle.”
Gahr was being held in check by Lily Cornejo through the first four innings, who yielded a pair of hits to junior catcher Krystal Purkey and one to senior third baseman Nani Mejia. Purkey now leads the team with a .462 average. But in the fifth, Cornejo gave up base hits to junior designated player Jessica Morales and senior right fielder Jessica Soto sandwiched around a walk to senior first baseman Karina Gonzalez.
However, Cornejo induced senior second baseman Jasmine Ruiz to ground into a double play, then get senior center fielder Alyssa Nava to ground out to end the scoring threat.
“That broke our backs,” Rogers said. “When I got them over here and talked to them [after the game], I told them there needs to be plate discipline. You have to have a plan. Their pitcher was getting tired and they needed to start working her deep in the count.”
The Gladiators finally broke through in the final inning when Morales doubled and Soto reached on an infield single with one out. Ruiz followed with a run scoring hit and Soto, who also had two hits, scored on an error. Ruiz would later score on a wild pitch.
Gahr hosted Downey on Apr. 28 and will play its next three games on the road in succession beginning with Tuesday’s encounter at Dominguez. Wednesday’s game will be at Warren and Thursday’s tilt is with Lynwood. The rematch with Paramount will be on May 12, the last day of the regular season.
“If everything plays out, that’s going to be the game where whoever wins that game is going to go to the playoffs,” Rogers said.

SUBURBAN LEAGUE SOFTBALL: Artesia once again victim of big scoring inning, crushed by Cerritos

2011-04-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

By Loren Kopff

Suburban League victories are hard to come by for Artesia’s softball program but one can’t fault the Pioneers for trying, or even staying in the game in the early innings. Although the Pioneers were no match for Cerritos in a 13-1 defeat this past Wednesday, it was quite interesting for the first two innings.
The Lady Dons scratched across only three runs during the first two frames and got just two hits off of senior pitcher Chelsea Small. But in the bottom of the third, Cerritos (14-6 overall, 7-2 in league action) sent 15 batters to the plate and scored nine runs. It marked the third time in seven league games that the Pioneers were within striking range before the fourth inning.
On Mar. 30, Artesia trailed Norwalk 3-2 heading into the fourth before losing 6-2. On Apr. 13, a 4-0 Glenn lead after three innings resulted in a 7-1 win and two days later, the Pioneers squandered a 5-2 lead after five innings. The Lady Eagles scored seven runs in the top of the sixth and four more in the seventh. Artesia head coach John Zamora admitted he needed to change his starting pitcher sooner when opponents were having those big innings.
But in order to score runs, the team needs to get hits and that’s something the Pioneers are having trouble with thus far. Against Cerritos sophomore Kaylilani Minami, the Pioneers got only four hits and in the last four games, Artesia has combined for 19 hits
“We’re not hitting right now,” Zamora said. “When we don’t have the pressure on the other team, it makes it very difficult to gain our confidence and have the pitcher pitch with a little more confidence.”
Minami sat down nine of the first 10 batters she faced before Small led off the fourth with a double to right field. After she moved to third on a passed ball and Minami’s sixth of 10 strikeouts, senior center fielder Reanna Guzman singled in Small.
In addition to the lack of hitting, the Pioneers (4-10, 0-7) have been plagued by errors. In the past four games, Artesia has committed 17 errors. In contrast, when the team began the season winning four of its first six games, Artesia had six miscues.
“The thing I have noticed is they are making more errors,” Zamora said. “We work on those things every day in practice. We have a mixture of girls who are young and we have [some seniors]. The senior girls are trying to battle through it and the underclassmen are trying to catch it.”
Cerritos freshman shortstop Lilianna Herrera went two for three with three runs batted in and a run scored while Minami, freshman catcher Jasmine Javier and junior third baseman Alyssa Marquez all had a pair of hits. Senior left fielder Nikki Rosenberger drove in a pair of runs and junior center fielder Sarah Smith was hit by a pitch three times, scored three runs and is now batting .625 in league action but has reached base 27 times in 35 trips to the plate.
The Pioneers will host Cerritos today, then visit Bellflower on Wednesday. As for the Lady Dons, who recently fell out of the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division II top 10 poll, they will wrap up the regular season with a home and home series against Norwalk with the home portion on Wednesday.

Bernadette “Berni” Menezes Former Artesia First Lady and Inspirational community leader

2011-04-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

By Randy Economy

Bernadette L. “Berni” Menezes, a well loved and long time Artesia community leader and former “First Lady” of the community has passed away after a long illness, her son Paulo announced this week. She was 67 year old.
Berni, as her friends called, lived what many called the “American Dream.”
Born Jan. 22, 1944 in a small village in Altares located on the island of Terceira-Azores, Portugal she met and fell in love with her future husband Isidro S. Menezes in 1964 and decided to move to the United States and migrated to Artesia.
Like so many other immigrants during this era, Portugal may have been her “Mother Land” but Artesia became their home when they moved here in 1966. Family was always the most important aspect of Berni’s life. In 1971 she gave birth to Paulo I. Menezes, and this was their only child.
She was a hard working woman and keeping busy and productive was never a difficult task. Her son Paulo recalls that she was “an excellent cook, loved gardening and loved my father, her family and grandchildren.”
Longtime Artesia resident Susie Gomes considered Mrs. Menezes to be like her “second mother” and she fondly recalls her positive spirit during her final days. “She was the light of our lives in so many wonderful ways,” Gomes recalled. “I have never met anyone who wanted to live life more than Berni, and her passing will be felt for a long time by everyone who she touched,” remarked Gomes.
“It was a tremendous loss for the people of Artesia. She was full of strength and hope and always optimistic about life,” said Artesia Mayor Victor Manalo. “She taught everyone about Faith in God and how important to live every minute to the fullest.”
Bernadette had struggled with much pain and many medical conditions for the past 29 years. But even with all the pain, she “never complained and never made herself the center of suffering,” Gomes remembers.
Bernadette’s life was celebrated this week with receiving full Roman Catholic burial. A Rosary was held on Wednesday night at Holy Family Catholic Church in Artesia, and Mass was conducted on Thursday morning. She was laid to rest at Our Souls Cemetery in Long Beach.
Bernadette is survived by her husband Isidro, her son Paulo, daughter in law Andrea (DeFreitas), and two grandsons Tiago, and Lucas and sister Maria Sousa.

Dr. Urban on Today’s Dentistry: A Correlation Between Oral Health and Heart Disease

2011-04-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Stop smoking, exercise, lose some weight, and watch your diet. How often is it that we hear these fundamentals from our doctors and drug companies when it comes to having a healthy heart? I’ll toss out another-brush your teeth and have your gums checked regularly.
Yes there is gathering evidence that heart disease is twice as high in people who have periodontal (gum and tooth supporting bone) disease. It seems that the most common bacteria in the gums may cause blood clots increasing the incidence of heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, the same bacteria can infect the heart valves.
How do the bacteria from the mouth get into the bloodstream become harmful? Bacteria cause periodontal disease. We know there are many types of bacteria in the mouth. When the disease causing bacteria are in high enough population the host (you) may develop an immune reaction. If you have bleeding in your body you should be very concerned. Likewise when there is bleeding in the gums you should have the same response. Chronic recurring bleeding is not good anywhere. Bleeding indicates that tiny blood vessels are opened up and become a pathway for bacterial infection in the blood stream. The presence of bacteria in the blood is bacteremia and over time it may spread to other body tissues like the heart.
The first line of defense is maintaining a healthy mouth. This requires meaningful brushing, flossing, and dental checkups. The dental hygienist is your best friend. The hygienist will check to see if the gums are infected, bleeding, or swollen. Then they will check to see if any bone loss or breakdown in the gum attachment to the tooth has occurred. Remember that periodontal disease (over 50% of us have it) is painless and progressive. You may not be aware of it until the end stages of the disease.
Warning signs that you should know about include gums that bleed when you brush, gums that are red swollen or tender, gums that pull away from teeth, pus or loose teeth, front teeth that begin separating and persistent bad breath. Periodontal disease has a very characteristic odor and can be sensed by those around you. It is a complicating factor for those afflicted with diabetes, stroke, pulmonary disease, and gastric ulcers.
Treatment will vary according to the severity. The first steps will be good oral hygiene instruction and frequent monitoring. Regular cleanings of the bacteria encrusted surfaces of your teeth is a proven method to stop the destruction caused by these bugs. Surgery may be needed from the periodontist. Maintenance is required because these bugs can double in population every twenty minutes. I have seen periodontal disease that has been in remission only to suddenly (within 6 weeks) strike up again. That is why frequent monitoring is crucial.
Periodontal disease is something that you have to live with but it is controllable. Keep up with your dental checkups!

For answers to your dental questions
Douglas Urban, D.D.S.
Cerritos, CA 90703
562 924-1523
www.DrDouglasUrban.com

Moskowitz Foundation Donates $100,000 to American Red Cross for Relief Victims in Japan

2011-03-27T01:31:00.000-07:00

By Larry Caballero
After reading about the tragedy in Japan that followed a severe earthquake, after shocks and a tsunami, the Irving Moskowitz Foundation offered to give assistance. At the Greater Long Beach Chapter Headquarters of the American Red Cross, Moskowitz Representative Sal Flores presented a $100,000 check Mar. 17 to American Red Cross CEO Nancy Kindelan.
“This has been the most generous donation so far,” said Kindelan, “and all the money that is raised will be put to good use to assist the victims of one of the worst disasters to hit Japan in many years.”
The Moskowitz Foundation has supported and contributed to many different relief efforts in the past including the Kosovo relief crisis in 1999, the devastating earthquake in Turkey in 1999, and the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund after 9/11.
Large donations were made by the Foundation to the American Red Cross to help aid and give relief to the victims of the 2003 massive wild fires in California; the tsunami disaster that hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand in 2004; and most recently to the Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans and Louisiana in 2005.
One of the Foundation’s principal beneficiaries is the City of Hawaiian Gardens where it operates a state-legislated Bingo Club. Proceeds benefit the residents through social action organizations such as Head Start and the United Community Group, and through the Foundation’s direct support of the Hawaiian Gardens Food Bank, children’s athletic programs, scholarship awards, health care programs and educational initiatives.

Unmarked Civil War Soldier’s Grave to receive a Headstone at Artesia Cemetery

2011-03-27T01:29:00.002-07:00

by Delores Eveland
Artesia Historical Society

Corporal John W. Miller, a Civil War Veteran of Company E, 118th Illinois Infantry died on March 29, 1909 at the Old Soldier’s Home in Sawtelle, California. Prior to his death his family had been residents of Los Nietos, Downey and Artesia; therefore, upon his death his body was transported to the Artesia Cemetery where it was buried in an unmarked grave. Unfortunately a headstone was never placed on his grave and it remained unmarked for over 100 years. Through the efforts of Margaret Alley of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, assisted by Floyd Farrar of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the cemetery has received a headstone from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), General W. S. Rosecrans Camp No. 2 Department of California and Pacific and their Auxiliary, will be conducting a special Headstone Dedication Service on April 9 at 11:00 a.m., also the 146th anniversary of the Surrender at Appomattox, Virginia and the end of the Civil War.
The service will include the rendering of Corporal Miller’s military funeral honors. The Sons of Veterans Reserve will provide a musket detail for the three-volley salute, the Millikan High School Army JROTC will provide the color guard, and members of the Mayfair High School Marching Corps will play Taps. The Artesia Cemetery is located at 11142 Artesia Blvd., Cerritos, California.
The Artesia Cemetery staff has spent several months surveying the cemetery and updating their records to ensure they are accurate and complete. In addition to Corporal Miller, several other Veteran’s Headstones have been obtained and will be placed on either unmarked graves or graves where the headstones are damaged and need replacing. A headstone memorial is available to all documented veterans from the Veteran’s Administration to ensure that no veteran’s grave goes unmarked.
The Artesia Historical Society proudly supports efforts to maintain the Artesia Cemetery, one of the “best kept historic secrets” of the area. The Artesia Cemetery was started with its first burial in 1882. As the only cemetery around for many years, it served the needs of Artesia and much of the surrounding area. Through the years many burials followed, of which about 30 were Veterans of the Civil War. The cemetery now includes the graves of Veterans of several other conflicts, the most recent being a casualty of the War in Iraq.
In the early 1900s the California State Legislature enacted provisions into the State Health and Safety code to establish local public cemetery districts. The county boards of supervisors were given jurisdiction for the management and control of all such cemeteries. Artesia Cemetery, comprised of 14 acres, is one of 265 public cemeteries throughout the state and was formed in 1929. Operations are governed by a Board of Trustees, appointed by Supervisor Don Knabe, Fourth District, Los Angeles County, and currently include: Joyce Yeutter, District Manager, and Trustees Lupe Cabrera, Dick Redmayne and Barbara Applebury.
The community is encouraged to attend the Headstone Dedication Ceremony and visit our own special “piece of history” where they can step back in time, meandering through the many old fashion upright tombstones and military markers. Many past community leaders final resting places will be encountered. Take a few minutes to honor the Veterans who helped to protect our shores, as well as those who have gone before us.

Your City Coupons donates to local charities

2011-03-27T01:29:00.001-07:00

In its first month of operation, Cerritos based Your City Coupons.net (a subsidiary of Los Cerritos Community News) generated more than $400 for local charities. A total of sixty-six coupons sold in the first month, ranging from Avenue 3 Pizza to Ajito Grill and Yakitori to a Whale Watching excursion in Newport Beach.
Grabbing hold of this new emerging market, YCC sends an email to its’ online audience offering deep discounts on a local product or service.
YCC offers deals such as $30 worth of food for $15, a $50 spa treatment for $25, etc. Consumers go online, designate their favorite charity and purchase the coupon. When the coupon closes-typically in two to three days-YCC will total up the sales and give 10% back to all charities who were chosen during the purchase. Charities who wish to participate can call 562.407.3873
Community-based website
Unlike the larger national coupon websites, YCC is a local community-based website serving Cerritos, Artesia, Norwalk, La Palma, E. Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens and surrounding communities “It is a great way for companies to connect to the local community”, says owner Jorge Chan of El Rocoto restaurant in Cerritos, “YCC does all the work for you, and you in turn get to donate 10% to a local charity. LCCN will even come out and publicize your donation giving your company and the charity even more exposure”.
In addition to the coupon on the website, YCC will also include Los Cerritos Community News to the marketing mix, adding an additional 105,000 local community news readers (and new subscribers), generating even more exposure. “This is something those large national websites cannot do, offer an ad in a local community newspaper group. We have a very loyal readership ready to purchase local deals, and in today’s tough competitive economic climate, you need every advantage to achieve success, the YCC model does that”, said Nick Nicolaides, Sales Manger for YCC.

Fundraising tool for local charities, non-profits and schools
“We have contacted over 100 charities and told them of our new website”, said Hews, “I can tell you, with the current economic climate, they were very excited and eager to participate”. A coupon that charges $15 will generate $1.50 for a charity. Multiply that out to one hundred, or even one thousand and the donations can add up very quickly.
“Every dollar helps in this environment, said Monique Rodriguez, public relations manager for Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, “YCC gives you the ability to raise funds for your favorite charity and have a good time while doing it”.
YCC will help local schools too. “Our goal is to get every school in the area to sign up, right down to the individual classroom”, said Hews, “having kids go through elementary and middle school, I know how tough it was for teachers, most spending their own money on supplies. YCC will give users the ability to designate Mrs. Smith’s fourth grade class at Fedde for donations from coupons”.
“We are very excited, said Nicolaides, “there's never been anything--radio, TV, newspaper, whatever--that could generate small business sales so quickly, and to add the donation factor creates a website that will-as our sales-mark states-Give back to charity one coupon at a time”.
Charities, non-profits, and schools interested in participating can contact Your City Coupons.net at 562-407-3873 or online at yourcitycoupons.net

1st CEB Adoption Committee sponsors Cerritos Bowl-A-Thon

2011-03-27T01:28:00.000-07:00

LEFT: Eager to support the Marines were the Bowl-A-Thon Committee members shown (l-r) Charlotte Morita, Maria Skiles, Sara Clardy, Lew Woodson, Laurie Forward, Joanne Witt and Judy Mendes. More than 50 Friends of the 1st CEB Marine Battalion based at Camp Pendleton sponsored and participated in an O.K. Corral Bowl-A-Thon for 15 Marines Mar. 19 at Cerritos Lanes. The Marines were also scheduled to attend a Cerritos Civic Center and Sheriff Station tour and dinner at BJ’s Restaurant hosted by the 1st CEB Adoption Committee.“It’s always a joy for us to sponsor and host these events to show our appreciation for all that the Marines do for us to keep us safe,” said Dorothy Owen, President of the 1st CEB Adoption Committee.

Miss Cerritos crowned at CCPA

2011-03-27T01:25:00.001-07:00

The Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce held the 2011 Miss Cerritos Contest on March 22nd at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. The Miss Cerritos Contest is not a pageant; it is a professional opportunity for young women. The Cerritos Chamber was seeking professional, outgoing, responsible, and articulate young women to represent the Chamber as an Ambassador for one year. The contestants were judged on their poise, attitude, social skills, and professionalism at their individual interviews as well as their speeches and general communication skills during the Miss Cerritos Contest itself.
Vying for the title of Miss Cerritos were eleven talented and enthusiastic contestants. Stephanie Peterson was crowned the new 2011 Miss Cerritos. Stephanie is currently attending Cypress College and is pursuing a career in Speech and Language Therapy. Michelle Yoo claimed the title of 1st Princess. Michelle is also a student at Cypress College, whose interest lies in the field of International Relations and Business. Lisa Lifton received the honor of 2nd Princess. Lisa is currently employed with the Cerritos Sheraton Hotel as its Sales and Catering Coordinator.

Hawaiian Gardens recognition dinner honors sheriff deputies and firemen

2011-03-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Bernstein
Hawaiian Gardens held its Second Annual Public Safety Awards Dinner Mar. 18 in the C. Robert Lee Recreation Center presented by the Hawaiian Gardens Committee for Public Safety and the Neighborhood Watch. Mayor Mike Gomez welcomed those in attendance.
Honorees include Deputy Freddy Brown and Deputy Jose Diaz attached to the Lakewood Sheriff Station, and members of the Los Angeles Fire Department Station #34 in Hawaiian Gardens.
Upon greeting those in attendance, Mayor Gomez expressed the city’s gratitude to the men and women of the Los Angeles Sheriff Department and Los Angles County Fire Department who he said risk their lives to keep Hawaiian Gardens residents safe.
Sponsors of the event included the Hawaiian Gardens Casino, HFGA Apts/Logan Property Management, Alvarez Refinishing, and LMO Contractors.
Music was provided by the Artesia High School Band under the direction of Jesus Mendoza with a musical salute by Asia Murray.
Committee members included Roselia Gomez, Michael Gomez, Valerie Mason, Yolanda Brown, Cynthia Haynes, Sandra Olmedo, Nida Canada, Robert Pineda, Mary Lou Landes, Teresa Jasper, Lyn Jones, Tony Garcia, Christine Garcia, and Silvestre.

Carmenita teacher finalist in educator of year contest

2011-03-27T01:22:00.001-07:00

Carmenita Middle School teacher Debbie Orr [ctr] with husband Hank and daughter Sarah receive Certificate of Recognition from ABC School Board President Maynard Law upon being named finalist for the California League of Middle Schools Region 11 Educator of the Year. Looking on is Principal Principal Rhonda Buss.

Fourteen local high school girls to compete in Junior Miss Contest this Sunday at CPE

2011-03-27T01:21:00.001-07:00

The Cerritos-Artesia Distinguished Young Women’s [DYW} program (formerly Junior Miss) will be held this Sunday Mar. 27 at 5 PM at Cerritos Park Est. Fourteen local high school junior girls will be participating in this scholarship program this year. They will be taking interviews, doing a fitness routine, showing off their talent and walking on stage in beautiful dresses.
Last year’s Junior Miss, Cerritos Breeana Johng will be performing a dance before she crowns the new DYW.
The DYW was founded in 1958 in Mobile, Ala., Distinguished Young Women is the largest and oldest national scholarship program for high school girls. During its 52 years of operation, Distinguished Young Women (formerly American’s Junior Miss) has provided life-changing experiences for more than 700,000 young women and offered more than $92 million in college scholarships. In 2010, the name was changed to better address young women in the 21st century.
The scholarship program, for the Cerritos- Artesia Distinguished Young Women, strives to inspire high school girls to develop their full and individual potential. We offer a fun and transformative experience, which cumulates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments.
The young women are encouraged to continue their education. College scholarships are provided to the winners in each category. Throughout the program, all participants are encouraged to:
* Develop self-confidence, abilities to interview effectively, speak in public, perform on stage and build interpersonal relationships.
* Showcase excellence in academic achievement, physical fitness, on-stage performance skills, and the ability to think and communicate clearly.
* Foster opportunities to beneficially inspire the lives of others.
Distinguished Young Women is a scholarship program that promotes education and excellence in all areas of life by striving their goals and become successful leaders in their communities. Since 1975, the Cerritos-Artesia program has been promoted by the community. Rotary Club of Cerritos-Artesia and the City of Cerritos are major sponsors for the event. The ongoing support of the Cerritos Optimist, and the Soroptimist International of Artesia-Cerritos, provides us with the financial foundation to award our deserving Distinguished Young Women.

Whitney High student wins Rotary Club speech contest

2011-03-27T01:20:00.000-07:00

Sayoni Saha, a student at Whitney High School, took first place at the annual Cerritos-Artesia Rotary Club annual speech contest held on Mar. 21. The contest is open to high school students in the area. The winner has a chance to participate in a Rotary District contest and possibly win a $1,000 scholarship.
This year’s participants included Xavier Buck from Gahr, Vighnesh Iyer from Whitney, Philip Sugui from Gahr, and Sayoni Saha from Whitney.
Toast Master members of the Rotary Club graded the participants. The winner received a $100 savings bond, and the other contestants a $50 savings bond.
The Rotary Club is dedicated to promoting local events and programs in the Artesia, Cerritos, and Hawaiian Garden area. This includes a close liaison with the ABC Unified School District in a number of programs. For more information about Rotary, contact Dr. Steve Sherman at 562 926-1097.

Cerritos girls take silver medal in California State Championships

2011-03-27T01:19:00.002-07:00

The Cerritos Firecrackers girls under 14 soccer team was inches away from becoming the 2011 American Youth Soccer Organization’s California State Champions as a last minute gasp to score the winning goal in the final seconds of overtime just went agonizingly wide of the net forcing the game against eventual champion Winters into the Russian roulette of penalty kicks this past Saturday at the Chapman Sports Complex in Garden Grove.
Winters, a small community near Sacramento, was a perfect four for four in penalty to take the state title to northern California and Cerritos was unable to match their perfection. But the game should have never gone that far if not for a tremendously valiant come-from-behind rally by the Firecrackers. Down 2-0 midway through the second half, the Cerritos squad found a higher gear and began to pressure the Winters defense. A great move involving Cerritos resident Karen Malacon led to a Madison Wells score to make it a 2-1 score and then with about five minutes left in regulation a scramble in front of the Winters goal found the ball at Wells’ feet, who once again kept her cool and scored the tying goal to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, Cerritos dominated the run of play. Juliana Orozco, Ariel Burns, Karen Malacon, Marissa Pacheco, Cynthia Rogel and Lauren Miranda pushed forward with determination and all had shots on goal. And then just before overtime ended, Orozco, Wells and Malacon combined on a last second attempt to score the winner, but it was not meant to be as the shot was inches away from finding an open net. The Cerritos Firecrackers’ accomplishments are remarkable, as they reached the championship game from around 1,000 AYSO teams statewide in the girls under 14 division. According to several sources, it is believed that they are the first Cerritos AYSO team to play for a state title since the 1999-2000 Cerritos under 12 girls and 1999-2000 boys under 14 state champions.
The Firecrackers made it to the championship game following a thrilling 2-1 victory over an ultra talented team from San Luis Obispo. Led by a great defensive effort from Summer Jordan, Kaylie Mota, Ariel Burns and Isabel Garcia, the Firecrackers held off a team that included several members from the 2010 Governor’s Cup Club State Championship girls under 13 championship winning team. The Firecrackers created a ton of scoring chances via counter attacks against the potent SLO offensive attack. Madison Wells opened up the scoring before SLO tied it. In the final minutes of the game a perfectly placed shot from 20 yards away by Juliana Orozco sent Cerritos into the championship game. The Cerritos Firecrackers also features talented midfielders Rubi Vazquez, Cheyenne Avila and Vanessa Von Deudekom, defender Justine Vitug and the fearless goalkeeper Karina Mayoral.
“I can’t tell these players enough of how proud I am of their effort and accomplishments this season,” said coach Orlando Gutierrez. “To play for a state title was an unimaginable dream at the start of the season and they made it happen. I hope that this is an experience that the players and their parents fondly remember for a long time.”
For the season, the Cerritos Firecrackers won 18, tied 2 and only lost one game other than the state championship game. They scored 65 goals and only allowed 11 for the season.
On Sunday, several of the Cerritos Firecrackers returned to play in the All Star version of the AYSO California State Championships against fresh all star teams from powerhouse regions of Tulare, San Gabriel and North Valley near Granada Hills that did not have to labor through two Saturday games. The Cerritos All Stars ran their hearts out, but it was too much to ask, as eventual champions Tulare defeated them in the semifinal and North Valley edged them out in the third place game. Nevertheless, for these Firecracker players, two state medals in a single season is a rare accomplishment statewide.
The All Star squad also featured Rebecca Hobson, who scored twice on Sunday, Vanessa Marquez, who scored in the consolation game, Serrina Terrazas-Lopez, Eileen Garcia, Erika Lizarraga and Vijaya George. The All Star team, winners of Area E and Section 11 titles, won eight games, tied once and loss three of 12 games toward their fourth place finish statewide from among 250 All Star teams. Sign-ups for the Cerritos AYSO Region 54 Fall 2011 season will take place in the summer. For more information visit the region’s internet site at www.ayso54.org.

National identity politics

2011-03-27T01:19:00.001-07:00

Re: Cerritos City Council elections

Poor Mayor Cho. According to Ken Cha, if only the voters of Korean nationality had not been confused in the recent city council election, our mayor would have probability received the most votes. How petty is that?
I for one am getting tired of national identity politics, which seem to consume far too many who enter the political process. I consider Cha’s argument to be childish and demeaning to those voters of Korean nationality. As citizens who have met naturalization requirements, I believe the voters who received Korean language ballots in the recent election are smart enough to realize no one can be forced to vote for someone they don’t even know.
Without documentation, Cha asserts “our estimate is that this caused almost half, up to 1800, to vote for three candidates contrary to their intention. Implicit in Cha’s argument is his assumption that these voters would only vote for Cho and no others on the ballot. Cha’s argument also implies that these voters would have selected Cho because of his nationality, not based on job performance. Isn’t it time for Ken Cha and others of similar mindset to join the larger community of Americans and stop this nonsense?
I sincerely hope Mayor Cho did not approve of Cha’s behavior in this matter; however, Cho’s comment “I don’t want this to be a problem in future elections” is of concern to me.
Gary A. Lee, Cerritos

Dear Editor:

2011-03-27T01:18:00.002-07:00

Lent, the 40-day period preceding Easter when Catholics and other Christians would abstain from meat and dairy products in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days of fast and prayer before dying on the cross. Most Catholics still observe meatless Fridays during Lent . Today, meatless Lent brings the additional benefits of reducing chronic diseases, environmental degradation, and animal abuse. Those needing additional reinforcement can look forward to the end of March, and the Great American Meatout. Now in its 27th year, Meatout has grown into the world’s largest annual grassroots diet education campaign, with a thousand educational events in all 50 states and 32 countries
Several years ago, a local Meatout information table turned me onto a healthful, nonviolent diet of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains. Folks who don’t make it to a Meatout event can subscribe to a free colorful weekly "Meatout Mondays" e-newsletter containing a recipe, book or product review, health news, and inspirational story (www.MeatoutMondays.org).

Replacing Mark Pulido on the ABCUSD Board

2011-03-27T01:18:00.001-07:00

Prior to Mark Pulido's election to the Cerritos City Council, all 7 School Board members were from the City of Cerritos.
Students attending ABC come from the Cities of Artesia, Lakewood, Norwalk, Hawaiian Gardens and certain portions of Los Angeles County. It is time to open up a discussion of broader representation of all communities on the local school board. This is not to say that individual Board members are not doing a good job of representing all students. However, perception can play a great part in a student's learning experience and that is why some School Districts have renamed individual schools after Delores Huerta and Cesar Chavez.
At the present time, about one-third of students in ABC are Latino-Americans. It would be a good role model for students if someone from the latino community could be selected to replace Mark Pulido.
I understand that the process for replacing Mark Pulido will be taken up at the April 5 ABC Board meeting. It is hoped that Board members will seek input from all segments of the District prior to setting the guidelines for filling the vacant seat.

Charlie Ara,
Cerritos

Publisher's Rant: Where is the outcry?

2011-03-27T01:17:00.002-07:00

I listen to talk radio when in the office and could not believe the latest attempt by certain Governors to destroy our democracy. Think I am being paranoid, read on.
This week, the Michigan legislature passed and signed into law a bill that would permit Governor Rick Snyder (R) to basically fire elected city officials and replace them with “Emergency Financial Managers” (EFM) in any city or school district facing “financial difficulties”.
The law would include virtually every town, city, and school district in the state because if they aren’t bankrupt now they might be soon because… get this… the governor’s proposed budget cuts billions in aid to cities and school districts and has been approved by the legislature.
Two thoughts: how do you define financial difficulties and how does this pass constitutional muster?
The biggest question is who wants this? Certainly not ordinary Americans. This is one of the most shocking, Draconian, democracy-destroying measures in the history of this country.
Then who is behind it? It is the same ones who back Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Florida laws, all Republicans who were swept in by the Tea Party, the same Tea Party now regretting some of those they helped get elected. To many, including me, these are not Republicans, but people who were put in office by corporations, they only call themselves Republicans.
The new law empowers the governor’s EFM- which, by the way, may be a corporation - and allows them to fire duly elected local officials, cancel labor contracts and even dissolve entire communities and school districts. By the way, typical pay for an EFM is $400,000.
This is not a Republican, Democrat or Tea Party issue. This is a fundamental American issue and that should be crystal clear to each and every one of us.
Have you heard any protesting? There are some protest gatherings in Michigan complaining about the law, but these activities have been relatively small. Where is everyone else?
It doesn’t matter if you support unions or object to them; that is irrelevant – unless you happen to be a monarchist.
This is a group of Governors (who received major funding from corporations, Citizen United cleared the way) who are determined to implement a boilerplate, less democratic system serving big multi-national corporations and does very little for anyone else. It is truly shocking what they are attempting to do.
Good news? Yes. These guys are going to leave in their wake a level of distrust that will carry on for years and hurt the Republican Party. Approval polls relating to them in every one of the states are dropping like rocks, serious recall efforts are on in all states. Let’s hope they are successful.

Cerritos Spring Festival Scheduled Apr. 29 at Cerritos Sports Complex

2011-03-27T01:17:00.001-07:00

9The City’s popular Community Spring Festival will be held from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1 at the Cerritos Sports Complex. Families are invited to attend and enjoy a variety of activities including food and game booths, rides, entertainment and a fireworks show. Admittance to the festival is free, although certain attractions require a nominal fee.
The festival will be held on Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. All day ride wristbands will be available for $25. A sheet of 20 tickets costs $14 and individual tickets are $1 each.
Entertainment will feature local acts, community organizations and Cerritos Resident Talent Show participants.
A Taste of Cerritos, which offers food from various community organizations and local restaurants for a nominal fee, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Additional events on Saturday include a classic car display from noon to 4 p.m., a Town Hall area from 1 to 5 p.m. featuring information from various City departments, and the fireworks spectacular at 8 p.m. in celebration of the City’s 55th birthday. The Spring Dance Recital will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call the City’s Recreation Services Division at (562) 916-1254. If you are interested in volunteering for the festival, please call Heritage Park at (562) 916-8570.

Dr. Urban on Today’s Dentistry: Canker Sores

2011-03-27T01:16:00.001-07:00

Many of us have experienced canker sores. Where do they come from, what are they, and what do you do about them?
In a nutshell we do not know exactly what brings on a canker sore. They appear in young adults more often and frequently arise during periods of emotional or physical stress.
The sores typically occur on the cheek lining, under the tongue, around the uvula, bottom of the mouth and in front of the tonsils. It is not uncommon to have several sores appear near each other. They are very painful and can reoccur without any warning.
They appear first as tiny “bubbles” or red spots. The middle of the lesion becomes necrotic and a grayish-white covering or scab covers the wound. The nerve endings are exposed and the underlying tissue is very raw. Pain is the primary feature and will last for 5-7 days. These sores will typically run their course in 14 days. They can reappear with extreme and exasperating frequency.
Under the microscope scientists have noticed an intense infiltration of inflammatory cells leading to the theory that these sores are an immunologic defect in the cellular immune mechanism. In other words a small patch of cells cease performing the functions that maintain their life.
What can you do about them? Since we do not exactly know what will create a canker sore you really cannot prevent them from occurring. If one does pop up the pain can be relieved with Aphthasol or Kenalog ointments. These are prescription medications that your dentist can prescribe. They are anti-inflammatory and are locally applied to the wound. More severe sores can be treated with high potency steroids such as Decadron.
Otherwise, you can wait until they subside. In the meanwhile keep them clean with hydrogen peroxide and covered with Zilactin (an over the counter oral wound dressing). I like Zilactin with Benzocaine since it numbs the sore and seals it off from spicy and irritating foods. Keeping the wound free of secondary infection is important so your dentist may prescribe an oral antimicrobial rinse such as chlorhexidine.
Canker sores can be confused with herpes and traumatic ulcers. Although herpes is reoccurring it typically does not appear inside the mouth. Likewise, traumatic ulcers usually have a memorable start date and do not reoccur (unless you repeatedly bite the same area).
I advise people with troublesome canker sores to seek pain relief from their dentist.
For answers to your dental questions, contact Douglas Urban, D.D.S. Cerritos, CA 90703 562 924-1523 www.DrDouglasUrban.com

Are our senior citizens hooked on drugs?

2011-03-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

Do you know what the fastest growing US population is? Here’s a hint. This population is expected to double in the next twenty years. If your answer was adults over 65 years old you were correct. What age group do you think uses more psychoactive medications than any other group? That’s right, our seniors, and that’s possibly your Grandma or Grandpa or even your Mom or Dad who take prescription medication on a daily basis.
According to a recent report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as many as 1,800,000 Americans over the age of 65 may be dependent on Medicare-provided prescription drugs.
Which Drugs are being abused?
Our senior citizens currently are at risk of addiction from regularly using benzodiazepines or a group of central nervous system depressants such as tranquilizers Xanax, Klonipian, Valium, Ativan, and Librum; along with sleeping medications like Ambien, Holician, Calmane, and Restoril; muscle relaxants such as Soma, Flexeril, and Robaxsin; and alcohol. In addition, opiates and analgesics for pain relief such as Vicadin, Codiene, Oxicotin, Ultram, Morphine, and duragesics are put our seniors at risk.
What is the treatment?
Senior drug addiction is something most seniors thought they would not have to overcome. Withdrawal symptoms are devastating and a safe and slow withdrawal is protocol with a board certified physician trained in addiction medicine who has specific experience with senior addiction issues and medical needs.
Recognizing senior drug addiction is complicated. If you or someone you love is dealing with addiction, know detoxification is better than senility or death. It can be amazing to witness the cognitive improvement a patient will experience once you can assist him through the 3-5 hard days it takes to detoxify your grandmother or grandfather to get off this medication.
A Board Certified Addiction Medicine Specialist, ABAM, can treat these patients in an ambulatory setting and in the comfort of their own homes.
For referral to an addiction medicine specialist in your area call 1-800-813-4345 or go to www.askforadoctor.com

Friends of Arts Education Hosts Gala & Benefit Concert “An Evening Of Sweet Blues” With Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers Sat., April 16.

2011-03-27T01:11:00.004-07:00

CERRITOS, CA – Singer and harmonica master Rod Piazza and his band The Mighty Flyers headline “An Evening of Sweet Blues,” a benefit gala and concert to support the Friends of Arts Education at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (FAE) on Saturday, April 16.
The evening offers two opportunities for enjoyment. The gala package includes a hosted reception and silent auction, followed by an elegant dinner catered by Choura in the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts’ theater and a live auction hosted by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.
The gala continues with a full performance by award-winning Blues veteran Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers. A concert-only option is also available. Tickets for the gala are $160 per person, while tickets for the concert-only option are $45-$35. The Gala begins at 5:00 p.m. For patrons choosing the concert-only option, the concert begins at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets for the Gala are on sale now at wwww.friendsofaecc.com or by calling (562) 916-1272. For those wishing to purchase tickets to the concert, call (562) 467-8818, or go online to www.cerritoscenter.com.
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers delivers colorful and gritty Blues infused with Jazz, R&B, and good old-fashioned Rock. The band, which has won three W.C. Handy Awards for “Blues Band of the Year,” boasts a cadre of catchy songs that includes Snap Crackle Hop, Stranded, and Honey Bee.
The band features elite members of the Blues world, including Piazza’s award-winning pianist wife, Honey; acclaimed drummer Dave Kida; and renowned guitarist Henry Carvajal. The group’s notable albums include Thrillville, Keepin’ It Real, Here and Now, Tough and Tender, and Blues in the Dark. The FAE is an independent, non-profit organization that works in association with the City of Cerritos and the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Its mission is to enhance education through the performing arts by offering Professional Development Workshops for teachers, grade-appropriate theater experiences for students, and in-class follow-up activities. FAE programs reach 30,000 – 40,000 students and teachers in the LA/OC area annually. Additionally, FAE grants scholarships to high school seniors who hope to pursue careers in the performing arts.

Mixed emotions from Cerritos, Valley Christian baseball squads in doubleheader split

2011-03-27T01:11:00.003-07:00

By Loren Kopff

When last Saturday’s baseball doubleheader between host Cerritos and Valley Christian began, both teams were trying to extend their own rare winning streaks. By the end of the second game, both head coaches were less than thrilled with the outcomes despite a split.
Cerritos stunned the Crusaders 6-1 in the first game, extending its winning streak to three games, the longest for the Dons since 2007. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Crusaders, their longest since 2007 when V.C. opened that campaign at 5-0. The visitors would then slam the Dons 12-3 in the second game.
Cerritos, under the helm of first-year head coach Chris Aquino, opened the season losing four straight games but won convincing affairs against Santa Ana Valley (15-2) and Downey Calvary Chapel (11-1) heading into the first V.C. game.
In the bottom of the third, freshman second baseman Juan Rodriguez and sophomore left fielder Andrew Ortega led off with back to back base hits. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly from junior center fielder Brian Diaz plated Rodriguez. Then Ortega added the second run when he scored on an error that allowed senior catcher Matt Villalba to reach first.
Cerritos put the game away in the fifth when three errors led to three unearned runs. Seven batters came to the plate but the Dons got only one hit.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting to see,” Aquino said. “That’s what we were seeing in the fall and we definitely showed it today. Hopefully we’ll build off of that.”
Ortega, Rodriguez and sophomore designated hitter Jake Liang all had a pair of hits and senior pitcher Christian Price went the distance, scattering seven hits and striking out five. He lost the shutout bid in the seventh when senior first baseman Ryan Fronke singled and was replaced by sophomore pinch runner Tyler McLurg. Two outs later, McLurg scored on a base hit from senior catcher Jacob Dupuy. Dupuy and senior center fielder Sam Raffaelli each had two hits.
The Crusaders (7-1), ranked ninth in the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division V poll, were playing relatively shorthanded as senior Michael Fasnacht has been out with a hamstring injury and won’t be back for another three to four weeks, according to head coach Sean Buller. McLurg is battling a shoulder injury which has prevented him from throwing or hitting and before the game during pregame activities, sophomore Nico Morandini rolled his ankle. X-rays came back negative and he should be back in action by the end of this week.
V.C. responded in a big way in the second game posting season highs in runs and in hits. The game was put away when the Crusaders scored eight runs in the top of the seventh.
“That’s what we should be able to do; swing the bats and throw strikes” Buller said. “Unfortunately, the guy’s focus just wasn’t here at all today. That’s the frustrating thing. They couldn’t play 14 innings regardless of win or loss. Their minds were elsewhere.”
“[Our] team got way too comfortable,” Aquino said. “They weren’t applying the pressure every inning like they did for the last three games before that. I think them winning three in a row and having a lot of confidence, they kind of got cocky and it fell apart.”
Cerritos took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when junior left fielder Keenan Parra was walked to lead off the game and came around to score when senior catcher Kevin Vaca was safe on an error with two outs.
But the Crusaders scored single tallies in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to lead 4-1. Eight of the nine starters for V.C. picked up at least one hit and Dupuy and McLurg each had three hits. Of the 15 hits, only two went for extra base hits-a leadoff double from Dupuy in the sixth and a run-scoring double from McLurg in the seventh.
V.C. also went to the small ball as senior shortstop Daniel Hernandez had a pair of infield bunts. McLurg also had a bunt to reach safely.
“That’s part of our issue and we’ve talked about it,” Buller said. “If guys want to increase their average, they can go at least another .500 in a series by just being able to put a ball down.”
Four players scored two runs and Fronke pitched six strong innings yielding four hits and striking out six batters. He escaped a two-out, bases loaded situation in the third.
“Ryan is definitely a competitor and he’s one of our top pitchers,” Buller said. “He’s that number three pitcher right now and he wants to be in the one or two role. He came out and threw strikes. He’s got a naturally tailing fastball and he’s got a pretty decent off speed two pitches with his changeup and curve.”
Vaca drove in the final two runs of the game with a two-out double and finished with a pair of hits. Cerritos was hoping to win four straight games for the first time since 2006. It opened Suburban League action this past Wednesday against Mayfair and will visit the Monsoons today. On Wednesday, the team will host John Glenn.
“I’m confident where they’re at right now,” Aquino said. “As long as they execute and play defense and pitch, we’ll be good to go.”
The Crusaders traveled to Maranatha this past Tuesday for their second Olympic League game and will host Whittier Christian tonight. Then V.C. will be off until a week from today when it makes a trip to Village Christian.
“I don’t know if it’s the guys just don’t realize the importance of the mental toughness of being ready to go for a two-game day like that starting early in the morning,” Buller said. “It was just disappointing just to see our lack of enthusiasm and lack of motivation.”

2011 BASEBALL PREVIEW Artesia, Cerritos, hope for turnaround seasons

2011-03-27T01:11:00.001-07:00

By Loren Kopff

With the exception of Gahr, which is always a sure lock to advance to the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section playoffs, this particular area has seen a near playoff drought with most of the teams. Since the turn of the century, Artesia, Cerritos, John Glenn and Norwalk have combined to reach the playoffs 11 times. This season, expect more area teams to get back to the promise land.
ARTESIA PIONEERS (9-16 overall last seasons, 5-7 in the Suburban League, fifth place)
Head coach: Michael Gaoghagen (ninth season, 90-121-1)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 44-84-1
Last time made the playoffs: 2007
Key losses: Abel Chavez, Tyler Guerra, Anthony Johnson, Jeff Samreth, Giovanni Vidal
Projected starting lineup:
P-Osbaldo DeLaRosa (SR)/Jose Esparza (SR)/Jeff Gunter (SR)/Gary Smith (JR)
C-Gunter/Esparza
1B-Sean Taylor (SR)
2B-Effrain Huizar (JR)/Cesar Soto (JR)/DeLaRosa/Esparza
3B-Soto/DeLaRosa/Tommy Corrales (SO)
SS-DeLaRosa/Soto
OF-TBA
OF-Jhovanny Ortiz (SR)
OF-Smith
Since the Pioneers last went to the playoffs, they have been built around young teams. The seniors of this season’s team went through a 3-22-1 campaign as freshmen and now they are hungry to go out with a bang.
“We expected to make the playoffs [last season], we didn’t make the playoffs and that was disappointing,” Gaoghagen said. “Basically we were one play away from making the playoffs. We still have a good group of players where we should feel we can compete. I think it’s going to come down to pretty much our heart and our willingness to work hard.”
There haven’t been a lot of strengths with the Pioneers lately but if there is one for 2011, it has to be pitching and it begins with DeLaRosa. He may not throw a lot of strikes or dazzle you with his speed, but he does do enough to win games, especially the 1-0 or 2-1 contests. Esparza and Gunter complement him on the mound.
Artesia will have to rely on its pitching because there simply isn’t enough hitting. The entire infield returns from last season but the weakness will come from the outfield where Ortiz is the only one with some experience. Left field is still up in the air.
The Pioneers have improved each season since 2008 and were in the playoff hunt in the last week of the regular season in 2010. Now, the Pioneers hope the seniors can lead the new generation to the playoffs.
“We have enough talent to make the playoffs,” Gaoghagen said. “But we can be anywhere in the seven spots.”
CERRITOS DONS (6-20 overall last season, 2-10 in the Suburban League, sixth place)
Head coach: Chris Aquino (first season)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 34-93-2
Last time made the playoffs: 1998
Key losses: Travis Crammer, Rajean Daily, Richard Jaramillo, Matt Kamiyama, Marquis Kidd, Kevin Lee
Projected starting lineup:
P-Christian Price (SR)/Kevin Anderson (JR)/Andrew Ortega (SO)/Brian Diaz (JR)/Omar Rodriguez (SO)
C-Matt Villalba (SR)
1B-Kevin Vaca (SR)
2B-Juan Rodriguez (FR)
3B-Omar Rodriguez/Price
SS-Jonathan Mura (JR)
OF-Ortega
OF-Diaz
OF-Keenan Parra (JR)
The area team with the longest playoff drought welcomes in Aquino as the school’s third head coach since 2002. Aquino, a graduate of St. John Bosco High School, coached at Cal Poly Pomona last year and before that, was the pitching coach at his alma mater. He inherits a program that has won seven or fewer games in eight of the last nine seasons.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Aquino said. “It’s a team that I wanted to rebuild a program around. I’ve come from successful programs and I want to teach these kids how to win. I think the City of Cerritos deserves a playoff team.”
The Dons took a major hit in the pitching department with the graduation of Daily but hopes to get solid performances from Anderson and Price, the latter with the most varsity experience. The infield is entirely new as Vaca was the team’s designated hitter last season and brings the biggest bat to the Cerritos lineup. He led the Dons with a .412 batting average last season. Anderson and sophomore Jake Liang will share the DH job this season.
Aquino says he is counting on his three top seniors-Price, Vaca and Villalba to bring their leadership and experience to the rest of the team.
“The kids just needed more confidence and they needed to learn the game a little bit more and pretty much the fundamentals,” Aquino said. “A lot of the good teams are fundamentally sound and that’s what I’m trying to teach them.”

Next week:
Gahr, John Glenn, Norwalk, and
Valley Christian.

CERRITOS SHERIFF’S STATION Weekly crime summary

2011-03-27T01:10:00.001-07:00

Eighteen Part I felony investigations were conducted by members of the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station last week, up from seven the week before. All categories in this report increased from the previous week with the exception of vehicle burglaries. 271 calls for service were handled by field personnel, up from 266 the last reporting period. The 2011 weekly average in calls for service is 257.
One robbery was investigated. On Friday March 18 at 9:00 a.m. a male suspect was stealing motorcycle accessories in a lot at the Towne Center when the victim walked up to him. The suspect ran to his vehicle and drove toward the victim, causing the latter to jump out of the way.
There were three completed residential burglaries and two others attempted last week. No residential burglaries were logged the previous week. The attempts last week occurred at a “dog door”, and a rear sliding glass door. Both had prying marks. The three completed were the result of open/unlocked doors or windows. Cameras, handguns, cash, cell phones, checks, suitcases, and laptop computers were stolen. The new 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries is 3.4.
There were three commercial burglaries reported. All three involved closed businesses. Two of the property owners did not know how entry was made, and the third involved a hole that had been cut in a rear door. Losses included cameras, laptop computers, clothing, and face cream. There were no reported commercial burglaries the week before. The 2011 weekly average in “other structure”/commercial burglaries is now 2.9. Vehicle burglaries dropped from three to two last week. Both were in from high-volume commercial parking lots, and both were SUVs. Paperwork and a third-row seat were taken. The new 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries is 5.4.
Thieves will go through residential tracks in vehicles, on bicycles, and on foot and look into parked cars in hopes of finding something valuable to steal. If you leave these items in the car, you stand a very good chance of losing them. Remember, vehicle burglary is the number one felony crime in Cerritos.
One vehicle theft was investigated from a high-volume commercial parking lot that involved an SUV. There were no reported vehicle thefts the previous week. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle thefts is now 2.3.
Using a steering wheel locking device will offer a good visible deterrent to the would-be thief.

Artesia Council votes to move forward on city’s downtown parking program

2011-03-21T13:40:00.003-07:00

By Jerry Bernstein

The Artesia City Council voted to retain the services of Walker Parking Consultants to prepare a program for the Artesia Downtown Parking Program. The work will be done in five phases and will include two pubic meetings and two staff meetings.
In his report to the council City Traffic Engineer C. Hui Lai said the study will cost approximately $55,000 and will be paid out of the Artesia Redevelopment Funds. Under the agreement the council voted to defer payment based on progress of the work instead of 20 percent up front.
The council also approved the acquisition of property located at 17202 Alburtis Ave. in the Heavy Manufacturing and Industrial [M-2] zone. The property will be used as a City Maintenance Yard for the storage of city maintenance vehicles, materials, supplies and other maintenance items.
The council continued a request for a conditional use permit that would allow a wholesale warehouse [plumbing supplies] on property at 18803 Corby Ave., zoned light manufacturing and Industrial [M-1 to its April meeting. Applicant is MWI, Inc. (Certified Pipe) in the city of Oceanside.’
The council approved a moratorium on new or expanded restaurants in the Old Downtown area that do not provide on-site parking. Purpose of the moratorium is to allow the city time to study changes in the Code to address parking standards in the Old Downtown Area and to develop a parking master plan while at the same time precluding new or expanded restaurants and similar uses in the Old Downtown area that may conflict with the city’s new standards and policies.
The council also approved an ordinance modifying the additional business license tax on service and professional businesses in the commercial general zone and commercial planned development zone effective July 1.The new ordinance will reduce Measure V taxes for business and professional uses on second and higher floors and revise the definition of floor area upon which the tax is calculated.
Under the new ordinance Measure V taxes would remain at 13.7 cents per square foot per month for service and professional uses in the C-G and CPD zones and would apply only to those in use on or after Mar. 2, 1999. Second floor taxes will be 10 cents per square foot. Third and higher floors would be seven cents
The council also authorized staff to draft city ordinance governing the game of Bingo in the city according to state law.

ABC Union Coalition pledges support of California tax extensions

2011-03-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

Board-member Pulido resigns to take Council seat.

ABC School Board member Mark Pulido said good by to his fellow board members at the Board’s Mar. 15 meeting. Pulido, who was elected to the Cerritos City Council in the Mar. 8 city elections and was sworn Mar. 16, told his colleagues his tenure on the school board was a continuation of his education and as a city councilmember and that he would work to continue the close relationship between the city of Cerritos and the District.
He also took the time to chide those who blame the unions for the deficits in Sacramento, saying the problem should not be laid at their doorstep.
On April 5 the Board is expected to decide on the process for interviewing candidates to serve as an interim member until the November elections when a candidate will be elected to fill the remaining two years of Pulido’s term of office.
In other business the Board adopted two budget scenarios requested by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. The first, Budget “A”, assumes passage of the tax extensions proposed by the Governor resulting in state funding for education remaining flat . Budget “A” would result in a $3.4 million ABC deficit for the fiscal year 2011-12.
Budget “B” would assume the rejection of the proposed tax extension and funding for education would be reduced by the Proposition 98 amount of $2.3 billion. This would result in an ABC budget deficit of approximately $10 million .
Superintendent Gary Smuts explained passage of the two budgets did not mean there would be immediate cuts. He said the District is required to submit them to the Los Angeles Office of Education this week. He said the figures would change when the Governor made his May budget revise, adding they would in all likelihood change again when a final budget is approved by the legislature.
He said the Board was no stranger to the cuts mandated by failure of the legislature to balance the budget. “We have done this four times,” he stated, “to the tune of $28 million. “ He said in his many years in education he has never seen such disarray in funding the state’s schools, describing it as catastrophic.

A recent survey shows overwhelming support of tax extensions among Californians, 59%-39%.
Present at the meeting were union members and management representatives united under the banner of “ Coalition of United Public School Services “ who declared they were one family and were ready to walk the precincts to obtain passage of the tax extension if the legislature puts it on the ballot.
Former School Board member David Montgomery agreed with the Coalition members that they are all one family when it comes to the education of the students. He added now they must bring in the rest of the family to help, the community-at- large.

Hawaiian Gardens approves contract for city’s 47th anniversary carnival

2011-03-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Bernstein

The Hawaiian Gardens City Council awarded a contract to Kastl Amusement for the 2011 city anniversary carnival. Director of Human Services Steve Gomez said the annual City Birthday Celebration would be held on April 2 at Furgeson Elementary School. The event will consist of live entertainment, food booths, games, vendors, carnival rides and information booths. Revenue from ticket sales is estimated at $10,000.
In other business the council approved an exchange of Community Development Block Grant [CDBG] Funds with the cities of La Verne, Malibu, Manhattan Beach and Rolling Hills Estates in the amount of $356,571 for $248,778.45 of City General Funds. This results a savings of $107,792.55 to Hawaiian Gardens.
Hawaiian Gardens Finance Director David Sung said the city was notified about the possibility of purchasing CDBG funds with general fund monies. By bidding the purchase of the CDBG funds for a price less than one dollar, the city will be able to save money. He said Hawaiian Gardens was able to purchase the funds at 70 cents on the dollar from three cities and 67 cents on the dollars for Rolling Hills Estates.
Sung said the purchases will allow for funding of neighborhood improvement project. He also explained this is funding the other cities received but cannot use. By agreeing to sell it to Hawaiian Gardens, the money they receive will go into their general fund.
The council also approved an amendment to ordinance, No. 532. granting Cardinal Pipeline of Denver, Colorado to install and operate an oil pipeline within the city with a requirement of insurance in the amount of $10 million. The amendment originally required the company to have insurance of $20 million. However, the city had agreed through the former City Attorney to require insurance in the amount of $10 million. City Attorney Omar Sandoval said for some undetermined reason, the previous ordinance did not reflect the insurance requirement.
In 1967 the city granted to Shell Oil Co. a 40-year franchise to construct, operate and maintain a pipeline for the transportation hydroplane substances, commonly known as the Brea Crude Pipeline that the city approved on Oct. 25, 2005. Shell Oil Company transferred the franchise to Cardinal Pipeline. On Feb. 9, 2007 the franchise expired.
The Council also approved a request by the Community Development Department authorizing the removal of “in lighting and installation of L.E.D active pedestrian Crossing signs on Norwalk Boulevard at 216 St. The work comes under the Safe Route to School (SRS) grant.
The Council authorized the donation of surplus vehicles and equipment to the city’s sister city of Venustiano, Carranza and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Youth Activities League (YAL).
City Administrator Ernesto Marquez said delivery of the vehicles to the sister cities has not been made and YAL has been utilizing one of the vehicles to transport participants to sponsored activities. YAL has requested the donation of the vehicles and will assume liability and maintenance to the vehicle.

Carol Chen Elected Cerritos Mayor, Jim Edwards Named Mayor Pro Tem

2011-03-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Bernstein

Carol Chen and Jim Edwards were elected Cerritos Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem respectively Mar. 16 in the Mayoral Transition and Oath of Office for newly elected councilmembers held in the Cerritos Council Chamber Mar. 16.
Addressing a standing room only audience, Chen said she would continue to work with the council and city staff to bring new businesses to Cerritos and continue to work diligently to safeguard the City’s financial reserve while maintaining the many public services and programs Cerritos residents have enjoyed over the years.
Chen was elected to the City Council in 2008 to the seat previously occupied by Councilman John Crawley who resigned. She previously served on the City’s Planning Commission, Property Preservation Commission and Community Safety Committee. Chen was re-elected to a full four year term on the City Council in 2009.
On Mar. 8 Bruce W. Barrows and Joseph Cho, Ph.D. were re-elected to the council and former ABC school board member Mark Pulido was elected for the first time to the council. All three were sworn into office during the Council’s annual reorganization meeting and mayoral transition on March 16. During the ceremony, Former Mayor Laura Lee was also honored at the meeting for her contributions to the community during her eight years on the City Council.
Mayor Pro Tem Edwards was first elected to the City Council in 2005 andpreviously served on the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission and Community Safety Committee. Edwards was re-elected in 2009 and has served one term as mayor.
Councilmember and outgoing mayor Joseph Cho, Ph.D. has served on the Council since 2007. He is an active member of the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce and is the founder and a member of the Mid-Cities Korean American Chamber of Commerce.
Councilmember Bruce W. Barrows has served on the Council since 2007. He previously served on the City Council from 1994 to 2003, and has served three terms as mayor.
First-time Councilmember Mark Pulido has a long history of community involvement, including serving on the ABC Unified School Board from 2001 to 2011. He is currently employed as the District Director for State Senator Alan Lowenthal.
Pulido thanked all his supporters by name for their hard work during the campaign and the many families, including his own, who volunteered their time. This caused the Supervisor Knabe to quip “No wonder you received more than 5,000 votes, your family numbers 5,000.” This brought a large laugh from the packed chamber, many who were Pulido supporters.
Pulido said he would work hard to merit the voter’s confidence in him and he was there for them. “I am your councilmember,” he stated.

Concerns raised about Cerritos Council election

2011-03-21T13:37:00.002-07:00

Korean translation by county could have skewed results.

By Larry Caballero

Before Interim Cerritos City Clerk Vida Barone could officially certify the city council election results of Mar. 8, Planning Commissioner Ken Cha, on behalf of Mayor Cho, addressed the Special Council Meeting Mar. 15.
Cha said the outcome of the election was a “huge surprise.” All three winners broke the record of 4,621 votes set by former Mayor Sherman Kappe in 1994.
After counting all the late absentee and provisional ballots, ABC School Board member Mark Pulido received 5,198 votes, Councilmember Bruce Barrows received 4, 704 votes and Mayor Joseph Cho received 4,682 votes.
Prior to 2011, only five candidates had ever received more than 4,000 votes: Kappe, Paul Bowlen in 2003 with 4,601 votes, Jim Edwards in 2009 with 4,166 votes, Laura Lee in 2007 with 4,134 votes and John Crawley in 2005 with 4,005 votes.
“This year, 4,000 votes were not sufficient to win the election,” said Cha. Former Mayor Grace Hu received 4,224 votes, more than all but two candidates in the entire history of Cerritos elections.
“How could four candidates receive more than 4,000 votes in the same election?” Cha asked. He said that several factors could have contributed to this result, with the chief among them being that this election had a record number of Cerritos voters (10,097) who cast a ballot, and consequently, a record number of votes (21,682) were cast.
“Simple math gives an average of 2.15 votes per ballot,” said Cha. Voters could have cast their votes for one, two, or three candidates; however, Cha informed the council that the ballots for Korean voters were inaccurately translated.
“Instead of writing ‘Vote for no more than three candidates’, the Korean instructions said ‘Vote only three candidates’ so Korean voters were misled to believe that they must cast three votes or their ballots would not be counted,” said Cha.
“There is no way to know exactly how many extra votes were cast by Korean voters because of this mistranslation, but our estimate is that this caused almost half of the Korean voters, up to 1,800, to vote for three candidates, contrary to their intention.”
Cha concluded that even if the Korean instructions were accurately translated, the ultimate outcome of the election would probably not have changed, but the order of the first, second and third place finishers would likely have changed.
Councilmember Barrows took exception to Cha’s comments and accused Mayor Cho of accusing the interim city clerk of not doing a good job. “The city clerk deserves an apology,” said Barrows.
Councilmember Chen said that there was no proof to substantiate Cha’s statements. “This is purely your own assessment,” said Chen. She reminded Cha that the 32.8% turnout in the election was not the highest in the City’s history, and his interpretation of the election results “had no bearing on the outcome of the election process.”
Mayor Pro-Tem Lee agreed that it was only Cha’s personal assessment and commended the city clerk “for doing a great job.” Councilmember Edwards agreed that Cha was expressing his own opinion and also praised the city clerk. “I believe it’s the voter’s responsibility to be well-informed,” said Edwards.
Mayor Cho agreed with his fellow councilmembers that the city clerk “had nothing to do with the outcome. I am not blaming the city clerk,” said Cho. Cho believed the responsibility for the faulty ballot translation belonged to the county that hired the company that printed the ballots.
“I do not want this to be a problem in future elections,” said Cho. Once all of the councilmembers had the opportunity to speak, the elections were officially certified.

Cerritos Library hosts 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day

2011-03-21T13:37:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

More than 200 women and guests attended Cerritos Library’s 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day Mar. 14, sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Soroptimist International of Artesia-Cerritos and Woman’s Club of Artesia-Cerritos, to hear the real-life stories of famous women from 1911 to the present.
Attendees were encouraged to “see the last century through the eyes of the women who shaped it!”
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire tragedy occurred when 146 women and children lost their lives after working in sweatshop conditions for $8 per week. After this horrific event, women began to organize and protest in larger numbers.
The women honored during this period were labor organizer Rose Schneiderman portrayed by Tobi Balma, suffragette Alice Paul portrayed by Phibun Ny, and Founder of the Women’s Club Jane Cunningham Croly portrayed by Kathie McGraw.
In the 1920’s, nurse Lillian Wald and Febb Ensminger Burn, the mother of a Tennessee State Congressman who cast the deciding vote that legalized the woman’s right to vote, were portrayed by Barbara Dunstan and Tammy Cannon.
In the 1930’s, photographer Dorothea Lange and Congresswoman Mary Norton were portrayed by Grancine DeFrance and Thea Siegal. In the 1940’s, photojournalist Dickey Chapelle, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jeanette Rankin-the first woman elected to Congress-were portrayed by Kathy Lovell, Diana Needham and Celia Spitzer.
Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks, portrayed by Brenda Hicks, represented the decade of the 50’s.
Mexican-American labor organizer Dolores Huerta, environmentalist Racheal Carson, and businesswoman Muriel Siebert, who were portrayed by Gloria Kappe, Christina Alosi and Susan Green, represented the 1960’s.
Joan Flax portrayed Peggy Williams-the first female graduate of Ringling Brothers Clown College-and Mabel Low portrayed female athlete Billie Jean King representing the 1970’s.
The 1980’s highlighted the lives of early astronaut trainee Jerri Cobb, first woman astronaut Sally Ride, and the first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who were portrayed by Gail Wendland, Susan Sklar and Ruth Russell.
1990’s highlighted Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and breast cancer pioneer Dr. Susan Love, who were portrayed by Suzanne Seager, the President of the Los Cerritos Women’s Club and Joan Anderson.
2000 to the present recognized political activist and prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, portrayed by Dr. Terrisa Ha; media mogul and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey, portrayed by Julietta Williams; and television icon Barbara Walters, portrayed by Barbara Atherton.
Soroptimist President Lou Kaku thanked all of the performers. “A great deal of work went into the planning and execution of this program. We wish we could have included everyone who was suggested, but there was not enough time.
It is our hope, however, that you will be so enthralled by the women featured tonight that you start your own list of amazing women. And that you will live your life so that other women will consider you an amazing woman.”

Cerritos Library Hosts African American Authors Panel

2011-03-21T13:35:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

Prominent African American authors discussed their life experiences, ideas and dreams at the Cerritos Library Skyline Room Mar. 13 as part of the Cerritos Library Meet the Author series to more than a hundred guests who asked questions and later purchased books signed by the authors.
Presented by the 50-member Orange County Chapter of Links, Incorporated in collaboration with the National Black MBA Association, Inc., Los Angeles Chapter and the Cerritos Library, authors in attendance included Daniel Armstrong who motivates and empowers people to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others through his program, Find a Tree.
Inspired by his experience in Ghana, West Africa, Armstrong wrote the motivational book How to Live Your Dreams: Find A Tree and Get Started.
While in Ghana, he met young people who wanted to teach, but there was no running water or money to fund the construction of a school. He suggested they find a tree and begin teaching others, and they did. Before long, several groups were started throughout the region.
Armstrong talked about people saying that they have no time for dreams because “they are stuck in the rut of their lives. You need to ask the question—what is my dream and what am I doing about it?”
Author Gary Phillips shared with the attendees that reading was not an option for him since his mother was a librarian. “Being out of work so much of the time made it easier for me to think about writing as a career.” He loved mysteries and by growing up in South Central Los Angeles and teaching incarcerated youth, he knew that he would be writing about the “seedy underbelly of Los Angeles through the jaundiced eyes of the African American investigator Ivan Monk.”
Author Flora Brown knew she would be a writer even before she retired from public teaching. Her passion for encouraging people to make choices that lead to their happiness began when she was a junior high inner city English teacher. Her passion continued to grow deeper as she worked with university students.
“Don’t have someone else steal your joy,” said Brown. “You need to claim it for yourself.” She thought of the title of her first book, Color Your Life Happy: Create the Success, Abundance and Inner Joy You Deserve, after seeing an advertisement for crayons in a magazine.
Author Paul Woodring’s background is in business and technology, so it was only natural for him to write about those fields in his first novel, Inventions. “The hard part about writing the book was to integrate a love story in it that would be believable.”
Panel moderator and author Attica Locke’s experience had been in screenwriting before writing her first widely acclaimed novel, Black Water Rising. She asked each panelist to share why they became writers and what was their motivation to do so.
Brown said, “Every writer has a story to be told, and that is good, but you also need to get your story sold. That can be the hard part.”
Authors Bernard and Shirley Kinsey concluded the event by discussing “What You Didn’t Learn in High School History,” based on the Kinsey Collection Exhibition at the Smithsonian American History Museum

La Palma School Rocks With Good Grades

2011-03-21T13:34:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

La Palma’s Walker Junior High Renaissance students proved that getting good grades do not just improve your GPA – they rock and roll!
The Renaissance class staged their second production Mar. 11 and honored all the students who received GPAs ranging from a 2.5-4.0.
Jennifer Sasai, teacher and Renaissance Coordinator commented, “Renaissance rallies are a great way to honor students for their academic success. I am proud of all the students for their hard work.” More than 630 students earned more than a 3.0 or higher for their commitment and dedication to their schoolwork.
The show was a rendition of both the movies School of Rock and Alice in Wonderland. The show itself was centered on Alice, one of the protagonists, who forgot how to the study. Mr. Renaissance – who helped the other students learn to have fun while working hard – and his class had to find a way to help Alice before she flunked out.
Ryan Ramirez, an eighth grade student, remarked, “I really enjoyed performing for the students who work hard on getting good GPAs. ”
Walker Renaissance students also entertained its audience with the live portion of their show, in which they danced to a variety of songs. Seventh grade student Emily Nunes said, “It is really cool to see the smiles on students’ faces.” Many parents and community members helped celebrate student success by attending the rally.
La Palma’s Mayor Ralph Rodriguez was in attendance, as well as the Anaheim Union High School District’s Superintendent, Dr. Elizabeth Novack. Overall, the show was a grand success, and seventh and eighth graders alike were properly congratulated and celebrated.
This summer a group of Walker Junior High School students will attend, as well as present, at the Jostens Renaissance National Conference that will be held in Anaheim in July.

Artesia-Cerritos Rotary hosts singing contest

2011-03-21T13:33:00.002-07:00

By Larry Caballero

Happy winners in the musical theatre category were (l-r) Revel Day, Gahr High, singing "Feeling Good" from Roar of the Grease Paint; Joshua James, Valley Christian, singing "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles; Tiffany Tatreau, Whitney High, singing "When I Look At You" from The Scarlett Pimpernel; and Jenae Loofbourrow, Valley Christian, singing "Perfect" from Edges.
Rotary Club President Felix Lopez said, “We have been hosting a singing contest for local high school students since 1985, and I thank all of you for your great performances.” The winners will move onto the District semifinals contest on April 9 at Orange Coast Community College.

CIF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION II STATE PLAYOFFS

2011-03-21T13:33:00.001-07:00

Gahr makes another fourth quarter
comeback, gets the best of Mayfair again

By Loren Kopff

Five days removed from winning the school’s first California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section championship, the Gahr boys basketball team put on an encore for the ages against the same team it defeated for the Division II-A title. For the third straight game, the Gladiators used a strong fourth quarter to make a rally but this time they needed more, and more.
With 16.6 seconds remaining in double overtime, junior John Benson scored the game winner, giving the Gladiators a remarkable 78-77 victory in the second round of the Southern California Division II state playoffs last Thursday night. Gahr never led in the second half, or in the first overtime, but took its first lead in almost 23 minutes when Benson converted a free throw to give the hosts a 72-71 lead. But it’s how Gahr ended regulation and the first overtime that will be talked about for years.
Sophomore Brian Nebo took a pass from senior Davon Potts and sank a game-tying three-pointer from the left corner with 7.5 seconds left in regulation. Then Benson scored on his own offensive put back with 10.6 seconds left in the first overtime to tie the game at 71-71. After the game, Gahr first-year head coach Richard Roper said this was the toughest group he has been around in his 12 years of coaching.
“Both teams are evenly matched and I mean this in all sincerity,” Roper said. “Both of these games could have gone either way. This is a game where nobody lost tonight; someone just had to get beat. I really feel that way. They’re a championship team just like we are. My heart goes out to them. There are no losers tonight.”
On Mar. 5, the Gladiators (26-8) knocked off Mayfair 63-48 by outscoring the Monsoons 23-8 in the fourth quarter. In the state playoffs, Gahr owned the fourth quarter, 21-10, after the Monsoons seemingly had the game wrapped up when they led 52-39 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter.
“Our team has been through a lot of adversity and pretty much nothing has been surprising to us,” Potts said. “We’ve been down before but all we have is each other. When we have each other, we know our roles and we know at the end of the game who to give it to and who needs to execute.”
Gahr led throughout the majority of the first half, building as much as an eight-point lead with 5:03 left in the second quarter. But the Suburban League champions went on a 14-5 run to end the half and took their first lead with 20.9 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws from Dion Wright.
Gahr’s shooting then went cold in the third quarter, connecting on four of 14 shots from the field while Mayfair was scoring 22 points. But as was the case in the semifinals against Foothill when Gahr rallied from 13 points down early in the third quarter, the Gladiators made their comeback much later.
After Wright, who led everyone with 36 points, scored 22 seconds into the fourth quarter, Gahr scored nine straight points on a three-pointer from senior Javonte Sales and six free throws. With 1:16 left in regulation, Potts dished a pass to junior Michael Alvarez who knocked down a three-pointer in the right corner. With his team leading by three points and less than 10 seconds left, Wright missed a shot that could have sealed the game. It allowed Nebo to hit the game-tying basket.
Mayfair scored the first nine points of the first overtime but with 1:36 left, Gahr began to make its second comeback. Alvarez was four of five on free throws and Potts was true on his only trifecta. With 22.1 seconds left and down 71-69, Nebo had a steal and Roper called a timeout.
Potts led Gahr with 20 points and was perfect on all 13 free throws. Alvarez had a career-high 17 points with nine rebounds while Sales, who left the game late with a broken foot late in the fourth quarter, added 13 points. Benson (11 points, nine rebounds) and Nebo (10 points, five rebounds) rounded out the starting five for the Gladiators. The other seven points came from senior Orlando Thompson.
“We just have a lot of heart,” Roper said. “Our seniors don’t want the season to end. Michael Alvarez is a beast. Orlando Thompson, not normally in [during] crunch time, stepped in and made some big plays. Brian Nebo, a little off tonight, but then he steps up and makes the game-tying three [in regulation].”
Gahr’s season would come to an end last Saturday night when it lost to San Diego-based Lincoln 83-52. The Hornets are the defending Division II state champs and are ranked eighth in the nation according to USA Today. Potts scored 21 points in the loss while Alvarez added 11 points.

2011 SOFTBALL PREVIEW John Glenn,Norwalk, Valley Christian

2011-03-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

By Loren Kopff

JOHN GLENN LADY EAGLES
(8-14 overall last season, 2-10 in the Suburban League)
Head coach: Armando Sarinana (second season, 8-14)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 22-85
Last time made the playoffs: 1990
Key losses: Jennifer Alvarez, Vanessa Castro
Projected starting lineup:
P-Denise Ponce (JR)/Desiree Hindman (JR)
C-Karla Lomeli (SR)/Brianna Ruiz (FR)
1B-Vanessa Mojica (JR)/Lomeli
2B-Jessica Amaya (SR)/Ruiz
3B-Ruiz
SS-Hindman/Ponce
OF-Gabby Cruz (SO)
OF-Denise Miranda (SO)
OF-Valeria Ortega (FR)
The Lady Eagles started last season strong, winning six of their first seven games including the Pioneer Tournament. But head coach Armando Sarinana saw his team open the league season with Mayfair and La Mirada in back to back weeks and it went downhill from there.
“I think these girls were very excited coming out of the gates,” Sarinana said. “They did very well, taking the Pioneer Tournament and letting people know that they’re going to be competitive. But when it came down to league, they got the jitters seeing the big names like Mayfair and La Mirada.”
He added that his team got a lot of respect from the rest of the league and feels his team can challenge for a playoff spot. He said his goals are to let people know last year wasn’t a fluke and to limit the errors.
There weren’t too many hitting stars on this team but Cruz batted .385 and anchors the outfield. She moves from center to left but Sarinana said the entire outfield can be juggled. Ponce is improving but can still give the better hitters of the league some problems with her speed.
“She’s getting stronger; we’ve been doing a lot of conditioning with her, getting her legs stronger,” Sarinana said. “So, she has been throwing a little bit harder. We’ve been working on different pitches, to be able to get the movement, not just to stick to a fastball or stick to a certain changeup.”
Seniors Jessica Diaz and Victoria Acosta are two other newcomers.

NORWALK LANCERS
(11-16 overall last season, 5-7 in the Suburban League, tied for fourth place)
Head coach: Isaac Galvez (first season)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 81-54
Last time made the playoffs: 2009
Key losses: Jordan Ancona, Courtney Fischer, Elizabeth Jimenez
Projected starting lineup:
P-Vanessa Venagas (JR)/Kassandra Caro (SR)
C-Crystal Cano (SO)/Samantha Lujan (FR)
1B-Martha Camacho (SO)/Cano
2B-Viviana Gomez (FR)/Alexis Velazquez (SR)
3B-Claudia Torres (SR)/Cano
SS-Anai Zarate (SR)/Gomez
OF-Jasmine Valenzuela (SR)
OF-Lorraine Fitzgerald (SR)
OF-Jenny Vasquez (FR)
Head coach Isaac Galvez replaces Paulette Gasporra and inherits a team that lost only three players to graduation but also a team that missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaking rule with Cerritos. Now, the Lancers are determined to get back to the playoffs with a mixture of experienced players and rookies.
“I’m really excited about being here,” Galvez said. “It’s something that when the opportunity came up, I had to do it. I’ve been coaching in the community for 10 years. A lot of these girls I’ve known since they were three years old. For me it was an opportunity to come in here and bring the program to what it can be.”
Caro (4-2, two saves last season) and Venegas (7-11) will split the pitching duties and for the most part, Cano will catch Caro while up and coming Lujan will plate Venegas. Caro leads all returning players with a .345 average last season. The left side of the infield might be one of the best in the league with power and speed. Last season, the Lancers stole 56 bases Galvez said Gomez can play virtually any position except pitch and he expects his team to finish first or second in the league.
“I know individual players and I still have Marty Fitzgerald and George Duran as my coaches,” Galvez said. “I depend on them a lot on information as far as who we’re going to face and what we need to prepare for. I do know some of the key players from La Mirada and I hear about Cerritos. They had a good offense last year.”

VALLEY CHRISTIAN LADY CRUSADERS (18-9 overall last season, 6-2 in the Olympic League, co-champions, lost to South Hills 10-3 in Division V quarterfinals)
Head coach: Bill Snyder (first season)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 66-65-2
Last time missed the playoffs: 2008
Key losses: Lina Avila, Louisa Bakker, Emily Craig, Lexie Snyder
Projected starting lineup:
P-McKenzie Goff (JR)/Kelsey Hughes (JR)/Madison Garcia (SO)
C-Kelyn Struiksma (JR)
1B-Vanessa Sanchez (JR)
2B-Taylor Winters (SO)/Hannah Prewitt (JR)
3B-Bri Dupuy (JR)
SS-Leanne Garrels (SO)
OF-Ashley Snyder (JR)
OF-Ashley Oxley (SR)
OF-Garcia
Lately, the pattern at V.C. has been a head coach for every two seasons as Snyder is the school’s sixth head coach since 2001. He replaces Rich Avila but his biggest battle will be getting the team to put behind the graduation of last season’s battery, plus its center fielder.
“We had a great season last year and the year prior, we kind of had a rebuilding season,” Snyder said. “We’ve had some excellent seniors graduating who have helped us a lot but we’re trying not to look at that. We look at this team as a younger team with a lot of juniors and sophomores with playoff experience. We like our chances and we think we’ll be competitive this year.”
Goff will now get the majority of time inside the circle while Struiksma has a tall task to replace the shoes of Craig. Goff posted a 2.21 ERA last season and picked up six victories, most of them early on in the 2010 campaign. Despite being the league co-champions, none of the returning players batted over .300. Dupuy and Garrels are solid on the left side while the right side is new as Winters spent some time at third last season.
One of the biggest thrills for a team which won six of its last seven regular season games is the return of Oxley, who has missed the past two and a half seasons due to an injury. As a freshman, she batted .281 and stole 10 bases but played in just 10 games as a sophomore.
“She has an excellent bat and has great speed,” Snyder said. “She’s a base running threat. She does a lot of things and she’s going to be real simple for our offensive attack this year.”

CERRITOS SHERIFF’S STATION Weekly crime summary March 7-13, 2011

2011-03-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Part I felony crime investigations dropped from twenty to just seven last week. All categories in this report decreased. Calls for service handled by patrol deputies were still high at 266, but down by ten from the week before, and above the 2011 weekly average of 255.
GREAT NEWS! There were no robberies reported to the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station last week.
GREAT NEWS, AGAIN! There were no residential burglaries reported last week. The new 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries is 3.3
GREAT NEWS, YET AGAIN! There were no commercial burglaries reported. The 2011 weekly average in “other structure”/commercial burglaries is now 3.2.
Vehicle burglaries dropped from eight to three last week. All three were from high-volume commercial parking lots, and all three were SUVs. A GPS unit along with purses, ID, cell phones, and cash were taken. The new 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries is 5.7.
Vehicle burglars rarely enter your vehicle to just look around, but are instead attracted to an item that they can see from outside. If your property is valuable and important to you, consider leaving it at home or taking it with you when you exit the vehicle. Remember, law enforcement officers cannot protect you from vehicle burglars. Only you can prevent your own vehicle burglary.
The final GREAT NEWS for the week! There were no vehicle thefts logged for this reporting period. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle thefts is now 2.4.

State of City Norwalk addresses state deficit effect on city

2011-03-13T13:56:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

Norwalk Mayor Gordon Stefenhagen welcomed city officials and distinguished guests who attended Norwalk’s State of the City Address Feb. 24 to hear City Manager Ernie Garcia, Norwalk Sheriff Station Captain Patrick Maxwell and Los Angeles County Assistant Fire Chief Gerald Heinzel discuss issues that impact the City, county and state.
“Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the state does not balance the budget on the backs of cities,” said Stefenhagen.
Captain Maxwell said, “A $128 million reduction in services has resulted in the possible closing of jails and the early release of prisoners." Yet crime is down in Norwalk because “public safety is our number one concern and because of more aggressive police work.” The 270 parolees in the City is a concern, but response time to a resident’s call is still under four minutes.
Assistant Chief Heinzel said there had been a record number of phone calls and public service announcements during 2010 while fewer structural fires have been reported.
City manager Garcia promised “no finger pointing, even while the state is playing shell games with our money. There has been a shift of state services and programs to the cities without the funding to implement them.”
Garcia said, “Even with a gloomy economic forecast, a slow recovery ahead and the realignment of services, we have not had to layoff any city employees, and we still have a $36.7 million budget with $8 million in reserves.” He did not know when the hiring freeze would be lifted and hoped that residents would not have to pay a city propery tax in the future.

Pulido, Barrows, Cho winners in Cerritos City Council election

2011-03-13T13:55:00.003-07:00

Cerritos City Council winner in Tuesday’s election are (l-r) Councilmembert Bruce Barrows, ABC School Board member Mark Pulido, and Mayor Joseph Cho. Pulido garnered 4,550 votes, Barrows was second with 4,170 votes and Mayor Cho received 3,947 votes.

Norwalk incumbents defeated, three new councilmembers elected

2011-03-13T13:55:00.001-07:00

The cities of Cerritos and Norwalk held city council elections Mar. 8 with two incumbents in Cerritos winning re-election along with councilman-elect Mark Pulido. Mayor pro tem Laura Lee was termed out.
In Norwalk Marcel Rodarte, Luigi Vernola, and Leonard Syryock topped a crowded field of 14 candidates to win three seats on the Norwalk City Council. Incumbents Jesse Luera and Rick Ramirez lost their bid for relection. Mayor Gordon Stephenhagen
did not file for re-election, announcing his retirement at the end of his present term in office.
The semi-official totals for the Cerritos Council election were: Mark Pulido, 4,550, Bruce Barrows, 4,170, and Joseph Cho 3,947. Grace Hu, 3,609, Chris Fuentes, 1,246, Kiran Ramik, 952, and Harshad Mody, 317.
In Norwalk the semi-official totals were Marcel Rodarte 1,862, Lugi Vernola 1,859, Leonard Shryck 1,808, Mary Jane McIntosh 1,567, Judith Brennan 1,465, Jesse Luera 1,321, Rick Ramarez, 1,042, Scott Collins 1,040, Anthony Garcia 614, Ginger Silvera 551, Larry McIntosh 414, , Steve Lowe 312, Craig Beckman 190 and Alfornso Adoha 131.
Election observers in both cities said provisional votes in both cities still to be counted apparently will not affect the announced winners.

Artesia Historical Society recognizes Station #30 restoration project volunteers

2011-03-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

Barbara Applebury, President of the Artesia Historical Society presented a bronze plaque to John Lyons, Artesia Mayor Pro Tem, in appreciation of his leadership as Old Fire Station #30
Restoration Project Manager. A celebratory brunch was hosted Feb. 19 by the Artesia Historical Society to honor those individuals involved in the restoration of Old Fire Station #30 located at the corner of Corby Ave. and 187th St. in Artesia. The site, within the area designated as the Artesia Historic District, becomes the second local museum managed by the Artesia Historical Society designed to honor the local history of the Greater Historic Artesia area.
John Lyon, Project Manager of the Restoration Project was presented a bronze plaque from the Artesia Historical Society recognizing his leadership and work in restoring the building which once housed the Los Angeles County Fire Department Station #30 in Artesia. The restored building has been retrofitted as a Fire Station Museum by the Artesia Historical Society, in conjunction with the City of Artesia and the County of Los Angeles Fire Museum Association. The already functioning Artesia Historical Museum, which is housed in a 1929 Spanish revival home, is located on adjacent property at the corner of 187th St. and Alburtis Ave.
“Many people volunteered throughout the restoration project,” said Society President Barbara Applebury, “providing over 900 hours of labor and expertise. Those individuals were recognized and included, among many others: Artesia City Council members Michele Diaz, Tony Lima and Sally Flowers-, Artesia City Manager Maria Dadian, and her husband Bob Lopez, Artesia Associate City Planner Okina Dor, Clayton, Diane and Lucas Young made it a family affair with their volunteer labor. All volunteers were presented a Certificate of Appreciation.
Special recognition was also given to Captain Joe Woyjeck, Vice President of the County of Los Angeles Fire Museum Association for his generous support throughout the restoration project and in the on-going retrofit of the museum. Through his efforts many meaningful fire department memorabilia items and photographs have been loaned or given to the Old Station #30 Museum, including the permanent loan of a fully restored 1942 Fire Truck.
The Artesia Historical Society also recognized Steve Earl and Lou Ann Zulawski, children of retired Los Angeles County Fire Fighter and member of the Artesia Historical Society, Fred Earl, who because of health issues was unable to attend. Fred generously donated a major Fire Department related toy collection, which he accumulated over many years and is now on display in the new museum.
The Artesia Historical Society utilizes both Old Station #30 and the Artesia Historical Museum in their educational outreach program, which targets third grade students in local schools. Docent lead tours of the two museums are provided to those students and include period crafts and games that aid teachers in meeting their California State Curriculum requirements to teach about the student’s local community history. Bus scholarships are also provided by the Artesia Historical Society when school transportation funds are unavailable.
Volunteers to aid in the educational outreach program of the Artesia Historical Society are always needed; therefore, anyone interested in participating in such a program are encouraged to contact the Artesia Historical Society President, Barbara Applebury at (562) 865-3107. Donations are also appreciated to augment the Bus Scholarship Funds. Training will be provided to anyone interested in acting as a docent. There is a particular need for men or women who might have some knowledge of fire fighting and could enhance the student’s experience while visiting Old Station #30. Both museums are open to the public on the second Saturday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 3 p.m.

BASKETBALL FINALS CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION II-A BOYS BASKETBALL FINALS

2011-03-13T13:52:00.002-07:00

Gahr easily sails through a Monsoon for first CIF
Championship

By Loren Kopff

ANAHEIM-Last Friday, Gahr senior Javonte Sales celebrated his 18th birthday. The next night, he and his Gahr boys basketball squad were celebrating the school’s first California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section divisional championship.
Sales rebounded from a poor semifinal performance to score 11 points and dish out four assists as the Gladiators pulled away from Mayfair in the fourth quarter to capture the Division II-A crown, 63-48, in front of 5,226 fans at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena. It marked the first time in three tries that Gahr had won a CIF championship. The seventh ranked Gladiators outscored the fifth ranked Monsoons 23-8 in the fourth quarter when senior Davon Potts contributed eight of his game-high 15 points.
“I’m ecstatic right now,” Sales said. “This is the best birthday gift ever.”
With the score tied 40-40 entering the final quarter, the second place representatives from the San Gabriel Valley League ran off seven straight points. Although the Monsoons cut into that lead and trailed by two points with 3:10 remaining, Gahr put the game away with 14 straight points as four different players scored during that stretch. Eight days earlier against Foothill in the semifinals, the Gladiators rallied from 13 points down in the second half and outscored the Knights 17-12 in the fourth quarter.
“It just seems like every game we find a different way to do it,” said Gahr first-year head coach Richard Roper. “Some games it was the press. Tonight, we pressed a little bit but it was mostly half court, man-to-man.”
The Suburban League champions had their biggest lead of the game (11-5) late in the first quarter but Gahr countered with a 10-0 run. Although the Gladiators led 15-11 after the opening stanza, Potts, their leading scorer, was scoreless in four tries. In fact, he ended the game with only two field goals as he and Sales were in a near role reversal situation from the semifinal game. It was there where Sales was one of nine from the field and Potts missed three field goals en route to a 32-point performance.
But with Potts struggling and Sales holding his own, the Gladiators got big contributions from juniors Michael Alvarez (12 points, nine rebounds) and John Benson (14 rebounds) and sophomores Kyle Benton (eight points, six rebounds) and Brian Nebo (nine points, five rebounds). In fact, Gahr outrebounded Mayfair 51-28.
“I can’t even tell you who scored points for us tonight,” Roper said. “We were just grinding it out the whole game. The main thing for tonight was the rebounding. We’ve said all year long, no rebounding, no reads. [Mayfair] didn’t get too many second chance opportunities.”
“You just have to stay confident and continue to work,” Sales said. “Everybody is going to have an off night.”
Gahr (25-7) led by three points at the half and increased that to seven early in the third quarter following a free throw from Potts. But Dion Wright had a pair of three-point plays and Myles Smith added a trifecta as the Monsoons tied the game at 38-38 with 3:21 left in the third quarter.
But Sales got the fourth quarter ambush started 71 seconds in. Then Alvarez scored on a put back for the last field goal for the next 4:18. With Gahr now leading 49-45, Benson fed a pass to Nebo who threw down a dunk for the third and fourth points of that 14-0 run.
After having been denied in the championship game in 1999 by Dominguez and in 2009 by Harvard-Westlake, the Gladiators went through this season with a lot of adversity. First, the team had to get used to Roper after former head coach Bob Becker was let go after five successful seasons and a 107-46 record. Then a week into the season, Roper had to take a brief absence to be with his wife, who is battling leukemia and was released from the hospital three days before the championship game. Finally, junior Anthony Martinez broke his wrist during the Feb. 2 game and was lost for the season. He was averaging 14 points a game.
“I’m not trying to blow smoke,” Roper said. “I really think no matter who took over, they were going to be in this position. These guys are winners and they’ve won in the past. I just tried to fit in with them and they accepted me. They didn’t have to. I’m grateful for them for that.
“When you’re dealing with life and death every day, there’s no pressure when it comes to basketball,” he added.
“I feel honored to be able to lead the team to this,” Sales said. “I would like to thank coach Becker for everything he has done for me and coach Roper for everything. The feeling is great.”
Gahr would be seeded fourth in the CIF Southern California Division II state playoffs and hosted University this past Tuesday night. Gahr had no problems in an 89-65 victory.

New Tdap Requirement: Students Entering 7th-12 Grade In September 2011

2011-03-13T13:52:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents/Guardian,

ABC Unified School District is mandated to notify parents of a new immunization law, Assembly Bill 354, which requires students to be immunized against pertussis (whooping cough). Starting September 2011 all students entering, advancing, transferring into 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades that do not meet this requirement will not be allowed to receive a class schedule or attend school in the fall 2011.
A record of the Tdap vaccination must be on file in your child’s school health record.
Verification of Tdap vaccination must include the following:
• Tdap must be recorded on student’s immunization card: A staff member in the doctor’s office, immunization clinic and/or health official must record Tdap vaccination on the student’s immunization card.
• Date of vaccination: Health officials must record the date of vaccination.
• Doctor’s Office Stamp or signature: Immunization record must include the official stamp from the provider or signature of person giving vaccination.
Once your child receives the vaccine send a copy of the immunization record to the school office staff or bring the record to the school for copying.
We recommend that families begin immediately to make arrangements to receive this vaccine. Parents should check with their child’s primary care physician, school nurse or local health official to determine whether they currently meet this requirement.
Resources for vaccination include:
• Student’s with insurance should obtain the vaccine from the student’s regular doctor
• Students without insurance may utilize the District’s immunization clinics. These clinics are located at:
• Fedde Middle: Tuesday and Thursday, 7:45-8:45 (Ext. 24670)
• Burbank Elementary: Monday and Wednesday, 7:45-8:45 (Ext. 22792)
• Call the Los Angeles County Information line at 2-1-1
• Visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ip for referral to providers and community sites offering free or low-cost immunizations
Present this letter and your student’s immunization record to the health care provider at the time of your appointment. Remember, no vaccination means your child cannot attend school in the fall.

Penny A. Goforth, RN
School Nurse
Head of Health Services

Cerritos group tours state water project

2011-03-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Participating in the two-day State Water Project Tour from Cerritos were Chuck Carson, Don Brown, Jim and Rosalie Wisenburger, Councilmember Carol Chen, Charles Ding, Chuong VO, George and Amy Dominquez, and ABC School Board Member Sophia Tse. At the crack of dawn on Friday morning, Feb. 25, Central Basin Municipal Water District Director Phil Hawkins welcomed a group of citizens from Cerritos at the District Office before departure for a two-day State Water Project Inspection Tour starting in Sacramento.
The tour provided community leaders with a working knowledge of the water supply challenges facing. Southern California.
The California State Water Project is a water storage and delivery system of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants and pumping plants. Its main purpose is to store water and distribute it to 29 urban and agricultural water suppliers in Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Central Coast, and Southern California. Of Seventy percent of the contracted water supply goes to urban users and 30 percent goes to agricultural users. The Project provides supplemental water to approximately 25 million Californians and about 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland.
The two-day tour included visiting the Oroville Feather River Fish Hatchery just below Oroville Dam, Metropolitan Water District, a Legislative Update traveling through the San Joaquin Delta and passing Freeport, Clarksburg to Hood, Delta Cross Channel, Twitchell Island at Walnut Grove, Ryde and Isleton.The inspection trip revealed and discussed the many problems and setback to the Delta levee project and levee restoration. The group also viewed the Skinner Fish Salvage Facilities and the Banks Intake Pumping Plant.
The California State Water Project is a water storage and delivery system of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants and pumping plants. Its main purpose is to store water and distribute it to 29 urban and agricultural water suppliers in Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Central Coast, and Southern California. Of the contracted water supply, 70 percent goes to urban users and 30 percent goes to agricultural users.
The Project makes deliveries to two-thirds of California's population. It is maintained and operated by the California Department of Water Resources.
The Project is also operated to improve water quality in the Delta, control Feather River floodwaters, provide recreation, and enhance fish and wildlife.
Size
Today, the SWP Project includes 34 storage facilities, reservoirs and lakes; 20 pumping plants; four pumping-generating plants; five hydroelectric power plants; and about 701 miles of open canals and pipelines.

Artesia Chamber Hosts Business Luncheon

2011-03-13T13:50:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

Artesia Chamber of Commerce President James Kang presided over the seventh official business luncheon meeting Feb. 25 at the Quality Inn Conference room in Artesia where more than 60 members and guests attending.
Assembly member Tony Mendoza was a keynote speaker who started his speech by discussing the State Budget Deficit and the possibility of about $26 Billion of additional budget cuts in the fiscal year of 2011-2012.
He discussed budget cuts in several sectors of state government that would seriously impact education, including school districts and community colleges, which he said should adjust their spending according to the State's reduced budget plan starting in September.
He also said that the Governor proposed to legislators the extension of tax increments (personal income tax, vehicle tax, sales tax, and others) for another 5 years in order to raise $12 Billion in revenue to help the budget deficit. The proposal will go to ballot in June of this year if approved by the state legislature.
Most attendees worried about additional budget cuts and demanded answers to their questions for almost an hour.
Chamber President James Kang urged all attendees to continue to attend future meetings so that the Chamber can serve them better to provide the most current economic information and to promote business activities in the city.

Cerritos Optimists hold boys Oratorical Contest

2011-03-13T13:49:00.002-07:00

Eight students attending ABC schools participated in the Cerritos Optimist Club’s Annual Oratorical Contest for Boys Mar. 3 held in the Cerritos Library’s Skyline Room. Topic was “If I were the Leader of the Free World. With them are Cerritos Optimist Club President Jamie Hamilton and Oratorical Chair Dr. Bob Green. Taking first place was Dung Hyon Jeon representing Cerritos High School. He was presented a $500 Scholarship check and will go on to Zone competition. What would you do if you were the leader of the free world? Eight students participated in the Cerritos Optimist Club’s Annual Oratorical Contest for Boys Mar. 3. Some of the subjects discussed included ending world poverty and providing world health care for everyone, and ensuring the world citizens had education opportunities available to them, stamping out the modern day pirates on the high seas and a solution to the question of gun control in the United States.
First place went to Dung Hyon Jeon, a student at Cerritos High School who won a $500 scholarship check and will now move on the zone competition. Vighnesh Iyo, a student at Whitney High School, won second place. He received a $300 scholarship check. Third place went to Philip Kng Sugui representing Gahr high School. He received a $200 scholarship check.
The other students, who were congratulated on their presentations included Lavier Buel, Gahr High School; Daniel Yang, Whitney High School, Austin Ha, Ross Middle School, Samuel Costro, Haskell Middle School, and Jacob Aunda, Ross Middle School.

Cerritos Chick-fil-A operator receives chain’s highest honor

2011-03-13T13:49:00.001-07:00

CERRITOS, Calif. (March 8, 2011) – Robert Hensen, franchise Operator of the Chick-fil-A® restaurant located at 18605 Gridley Road, is the recipient of the Symbol of Success award, Chick-fil-A’s highest honor for a restaurant Operator. The Symbol of Success award recognizes those who successfully achieve aggressive sales goals over the previous year. Hensen was among 54 Operators to receive the award at the chain’s annual meeting held Feb. 20-23 in San Antonio, Texas.
As part of the award, Hensen earned the opportunity to select one of 13 Ford models of his choice. First-time Symbol of Success winners receive the keys to their vehicle for one year. Restaurant Operators who match or exceed the same level of performance for the second consecutive year earn the title to the vehicle.
In a year of major new product introductions, geographic expansion and new store openings, Chick-fil-A finished strong in 2010 by marking the company’s 43rd consecutive year of sales growth. The company reported system-wide sales of more than $3.5 billion, representing an 11.37 percent increase over the chain’s 2009 overall sales performance.
“Our restaurant franchisees are Chick-fil-A’s very own symbols of success,” said Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Dan T. Cathy, “Their persistent commitment to excellence in customer service and ability to provide unmatched product quality to each customer on every visit is what shapes and maintains our brand.”
Since Chick fil A Founder S. Truett Cathy initiated the program in 1975, nearly 1,000 Operators have earned the Symbol of Success award, and 127 of those have received the title to the vehicle in year two.

Ms. Filipino USA crowned at Cerritos Senior Center

2011-03-13T13:48:00.001-07:00

By Larry Caballero

More than 250 Filipino International Seniors Club of Southern California members and guests attended the Coronation of Ms. USA 2011 and her Court Feb. 13 at the Cerritos Senior Center.President Minda Pleta welcomed and acknowledged guests including Cerritos Mayor Joseph Cho who crowned Ms. USA 2011 Leonor Almanza. “I want to thank all of you for coming to honor our Ms. USA,” said Pleta. “We plan a very special evening of dancing and entertainment before we crown Ms. USA and her Court, and we thank Mayor Joseph Cho for assisting us in our program.”
Ms. California Julie Ungos and Ms. International Lily Ungos were also recognized for their dedication and support to the Club. It was founded in 1992 to promote Filipino music, customs and traditions.

Local officials happy to serve their residents

2011-03-13T13:46:00.002-07:00

By Larry Caballero

Hubert Humphrey Democratic Club members had the opportunity to hear from former Cerritos Mayor Pro-Tem Laura Lee and Artesia Mayor Victor Manalo about their love of service to their residents at their Feb. 21 meeting at Cocos Restaurant.
Lee said she was honored to serve for the last eight years as a councilmember and mayor. “This is what the democratic process is all about. It gave me the opportunity to give back to my community that has been so good to me.”
Lee never thought that she would be representing Cerritos when she left Taiwan more than 30 years ago and eventually settled in Cerritos, but she is forever grateful. “I wanted to get more involved in my community once my kids were grown because I knew that all of my success and my comfortable life I owe to this country.”
When Lee ran for office in 2001, she lost by only 160 votes, so she was motivated to run again in 2003. “Since then I have always tried to be a force for good to bridge the gap between so many cultures in our city.”
Lee is proud that Cerritos may have had to cut its budget, but not any services, in the worse economic downturn in decades. “Four years ago, our budget was more than $146 million, and now it’s closer to $126 million.”
She admitted that Cerritos doesn’t have as many problems as its neighboring cities, but no matter where she goes, residents are always expressing concerns about overgrown trees that drop too many leaves and uplifted sidewalks. Yet they are happy to hear that the deputy sheriff’s response time to a call is less than five minutes.
Another concern is traffic congestion near the local schools in the morning and afternoon as parents are dropping off and picking up their children while residents are attempting to leave their homes.
Lee is proud that the City’s 25 parks are irrigated by recycled water and of the many programs the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts provides to residents and many groups from surrounding cities.
“I am also so happy that the City has such a good relationship with the ABC School District that allows us to share facilities that in turn benefit all of our residents,” said Lee.
“I know how lucky I have been to have had the opportunity to serve Cerritos, and I will always be so very grateful.”
Artesia Mayor Victor Manalo he is also honored to have served his city and plans to focus on the theme of service during his term as mayor. “Our city’s theme is Service Builds Tomorrow’s Progress,” said Manalo, “and we should always be asking what we are doing to serve our residents better.”
He believes in transparency as the City moves ahead with redevelopment projects and the revitalization of its downtown corridor on Pioneer Boulevard. “We’re not going to let our residents down as did the leaders in the city of Bell.”
Future projects include upgrading sidewalks, expanding street medians, landscaping and building a new parking structure. Refurbishing the city’s historical district is also planned.
Yet Artesia has also been hurt by the economy. “We are highly dependent on sales tax since there is no city property tax, and we have lost revenues in recent years.”
Consequently, Manalo is promoting volunteerism as one way to beautify Artesia. “Neighbors should help neighbors to clean up their yards or paint their homes. I also want to engage our residents to get more involved in their city.”
He’s planning four town hall meetings throughout the year to address the budget and resident concerns. “It’s been an honor to serve Artesia, and I want to do what I can to make our City an even better place to live.”

Palms Elementary School holds annual Read Aloud

2011-03-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

Mrs Laura Arvizu’s, fourth Grade Class at Palms Elementary School gather for a picture following a Read Aloud session with LCCN Editor Jerry Bernstein who read a book entitled “Dave the Potter” by L.C. Hill. Some of the questions asked included when he decided to become a newspaper reporter and why and the different events he wrote about. In answering their questions, he stressed the importance of reading and how it brings the world to the reader. Readers that day at the school’s annual Read Aloud program included ABC School Board President Maynard Law, School Board member Celia Spitzer, Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Mike Gomes and Councilman Victor Farfan, retired school teachers and community members.

Bon Temps! Mardi Gras time at Our Lady Of Fatima

2011-03-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Artesia, CA- It was “Fat Tuesday” Our Lady of Fatima style for the first grade students at OLF. They kicked off their Mardi Gras celebration with two King Cakes, only a lucky few found the special pennies! The students, who were dressed in beautiful masks, marched behind their vibrant float lead, by their very own King, to Dixieland jazz as they passed out beads to all the teachers. The lively procession headed over to the Artesia Senior Center where they danced, passed out more beads and spoke about the meaning of Mardi Gras, as well as its history.
Student council continued the festivities into lunch with all students having fun before the start of the serious season of Lent. The children learn about this season in their religion classes and are urged to prepare for the Resurrection of the Lord, with the hopes they choose a positive resolution.
Our Lady of Fatima School offers the only comprehensive Catholic educational program in the Cerritos/Artesia area for Kndergarten through Eighth grade with educational standards set above the national averages. For more information please call (562) 865-1621 or visit our website at www.fatimachargers.com.
Our Lady of Fatima School….A Caring Place to Grow!

Our Town The P.B. and J. War Hero

2011-03-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

“I know that God was watching over me, and I am alive today because I stayed with my job as a chaplain’s assistant. Yes, I still like peanut butter and jam sandwiches.”

Come again?

Floyd Freeman wrote those words at the end of the chapter “How I Won the War” in his book “My Life Story”. The time was January, 1945, and the place was France at the end of World War II. He landed in Marseilles with the 70th Infantry Division “Trailblazers” and moved through the French countryside liberating small towns from the Germans. “While it’s not very well known”, he says, “I was in the Battle of Nord Wind which was adjacent in location and time to the Battle of the Bulge”. Through a random combination of occurrences (this was the army, right?) he became the soldier responsible for preparing hundreds of sandwiches for the wounded at his triage medical station each day with the only foodstuff plentifully available at the time – baguettes of French bread, tubs of peanut butter and canisters of strawberry jam.
“I served them from a large tray to the wounded men, the American soldiers as well as the German prisoner soldiers who had been hurt.” The men were so shattered physically that any heartier fare would have been too much for their system.
At war’s end Floyd maintained close contact with his fellow Trailblazers through correspondence and yearly re-unions. He opened a travel agency and soon found himself organizing tours of his fellow ex-GIs to locales they had last visited in the European Theatre. Since that initial effort with another organizer in 1977 he has led 15 group visits and assisted with 2 others. “There were usually around 50 people with a high of 70 for our fiftieth anniversary trip in 1995”. While the stops were varied, each town they visited had been liberated by the Trailblazers. “We were still well remembered by the French”, Floyd recalled, “and we were greeted with respect and reverence”. They would close the schools so the children could meet their heroes and every town erected a monument in their honor. Flags were carefully placed at each gravesite and a number of small museums were created locally to celebrate their sacrifices. “Oh Susanna”, the 70ths theme song, was proudly played wherever they went – usually marching in a local parade of honor.
Each of the tours stopped at St. Avold, the French military cemetery to honor their fallen comrades. Here again the group marched in and took their places for a solemn ceremony.
Once again through a random combination of occurrences, the Trailblazers began to associate with their German counterparts, the Sixth Mountain Division of the S.S. “We eventually would build in reciprocal visits to the cemetery for the German dead and St. Avold after we realized that so many had given their all at such a young age”. The reaction of the French was initially critical but they maintained contact and have now arrived at a state where Floyd says “some of those enemies are now my best friends”. A true lesson in humanity for us all.
Eventually there were more and more children and then grandchildren of the Trailblazers making the yearly trips than the originals given that over 1,000 World War 2 vets are passing each day. As Floyd aged also he sadly stopped the tours several years back.
Born in Minnesota and spending the last forty of his eighty-six years in the same home near Whitney High School, Floyd is a Cerritos booster. He came to his writing career through a class at the Patricia Nixon Senior Center and, true to form, has hosted numerous parties and celebrations for his colleagues. When the teacher was unable to continue several years back Floyd kept the group together – still meeting each week and sharing their efforts among themselves. Therein lies yet another story so look for a feature on the writers of Cerritos in a future Our Town column.
So the next time you enjoy a p.b. and j. give a thought and nod of respect to a true home town hero, Mr. Floyd Freeman. He’s a great guy – I hope you get the chance to meet him someday.
Please send your comments on this column and suggestions for future topics to b.hughlett@verizon.net.

2011 SOFTBALL PREVIEW

2011-03-13T13:42:00.001-07:00

Cerritos ready to take Suburban League’s top spot

By Loren Kopff

Having been with a group of freshmen for his first season, Cerritos head coach Bob Medina is hoping his team can take Mayfair and La Mirada off the top perch in the Suburban League. Norwalk welcomes a new coach for the first time since 2004 while Valley Christian also has a new mentor. Artesia and John Glenn bid to move out of the Suburban League cellar and Gahr hopes for a major turnaround.
ARTESIA PIONEERS
(2-14 overall last season, 0-12 in the Suburban League, seventh place)
Head coach: John Zamora
(second season, 2-14)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 14-72
Last time made the playoffs: 1992
Key losses: Erica Rivera, Gaby Vega
Projected starting lineup:
P-Chelsea Small (SR)/Reanna Guzman (SR)
C-Kira Ito (SO)/Danielle Evans (SR)
1B-Evans
2B-TBA
3B-Guzman
SS-Lauren Lewis (SR)
OF-Emily Franco (SO)/Lily Gonzalez (SR)
OF-Gonzalez/Franco
OF-TBA
Head coach John Zamora saw his team split four games in the Whittier Tournament, then lose the rest of way. But don’t overlook last season’s record as the Pioneers return nearly their entire team from 2010 and figure to be more competitive.
“My initial goals were set a little bit higher and there were a lot of games I thought we could have won,” Zamora said.
Of the 12 league games, Artesia lost by a run once, by two runs two other times and trailed by two runs after three innings in two more games. Small and Guzman will share the pitching duties again as Guzman has a little more fire but Small has a lot more movement, according to Zamora. Ito is an up and coming catcher who shined as a freshman while Lewis is the veteran leader who moves from second base. Zamora said that second base and right field are still up for grabs.
“When we talked about last year, I pulled the seniors aside and a lot of the returning girls aside and they all agreed that there were probably four or five games that we should have won,” Zamora said.
The Pioneers are hoping to win a league game for the first time since 2008 and have finished in sixth or seventh place in at least the past 14 seasons.
CERRITOS LADY DONS
(11-15 overall last season, 5-7 in the Suburban League, tied for fourth place, lost to Eisenhower 7-1 in Division II wild card)
Head coach: Bob Medina (third season, 19-32)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 44-81-1
Last time missed the playoffs: 2008
Key losses: Grace Kim, Esther Yang
Projected starting lineup:
P-Kaylilani Minami (SO)/Miki Okazaki (SO)/Drianna Drulias (JR)
C-Jasmine Javier (FR)/Sarah Smith (JR)
1B-Okazaki
2B-Drulias/Lilianna Hernandez (FR)/Bianca Espinoza(SO)
3B-Alyssa Marquez (JR)/Hernandez
SS-Erin Clinton (SO)/Hernandez
OF-Espinoza/Jessika Castaneda (JR)
OF-Hernandez /Smith/Nikki Rosenberger (SR)
OF-Smith/Rachel Fitterer (FR)
When Medina took over the program in 2009, he had a team built around a lot of freshmen with a few seniors from the previous teams. Now, the team is in a great position to win the school’s first league title since 2000, and the Lady Dons will have only one senior on this season’s squad.
“Of course we set our goals high; we always have to,” Medina said. “But we strive to do a little better than we did last year. It would be nice to win a league title and it would be nice to do well. But we’re very fortunate this year because we have nine strong players.”
The key word all season long will be depth as almost everyone can play several positions. Smith, who led the team with a .493 average, 28 runs and 10 stolen bases as a leadoff hitter, will spend more time in the outfield as Medina is looking towards the future. Besides Smith, six other players batted at least .281 last season. Half a dozen players also drove in at least 14 runs and the team belted out 12 triples. Fitterer is the latest Cerritos Girls Softball Association all-star to come through the Lady Dons pipeline. Look for Minami to get more time in the circle.
“This is a team that I think is going to have a good showing against every single team that we play,” Medina said. “I know that for sure. We’ve been able to instill different plays where we have people in different positions. They’re just trying to stay afloat. I believe we’re in the boat now. All we have to do is learn how to really paddle that boat.”
GAHR GLADIATORS
(5-20 overall last season, 2-8 in the San Gabriel Valley League, fifth place)
Head coach: Mike Rogers (fifth season, 58-54)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 78-61-1
Last time made the playoffs: 2009
Key losses: Olivia Arredondo, Catherine Gonzalez, Erica Jackson, Valerie Rios
Projected starting lineup:
P-Maya Varela (JR)/Mel Varela (FR)
C-Krystal Purkey (JR)/Stephanie Carrasco (FR)
1B-Erica Willig (SR)/Karina Gonzalez (SR)/Varela, Ma.
2B-Jasmine Ruiz (SR)
3B-Nani Mejia (SR)
SS-Jessica Morales (JR)/Willig
OF-Amber Giron (SR)/Jessica Soto (SR)/Ariana Campos (SO)
OF-Alyssa Nava (JR)
OF-Jessica Avila (JR)/Soto/Campos
Gahr had one of its worst seasons in recent memory, partly due to injuries and partly due to more drama. When it was all said and done, the Gladiators had to forfeit four wins late in the season despite fielding a team that had three players bat over .400. This season, head coach Mike Rogers is already facing a familiar dilemma as at least seven players are either nicked up or temporarily out of the lineup.
“There was a lot of talent,” Rogers said of last season. “Our pitching and defense hurt us and we didn’t have timely hits. I was very disappointed. It was a tough season. But this year, the girls have come out with a real good attitude.”
One early season key loss is Frese, who tore her meniscus but should be back sooner than originally expected. Maya Varela led the team with a 2.81 earned run average but has also been hampered with injuries, as has Mejia, who batted .436 last season with only 39 at bats. Ruiz returns as the team’s leading hitter (.485, 24 runs, 25 RBI, 15 stolen bases). Willig could see more time at shortstop while Nava is the only returning outfielder with extensive playing time. Expect Purkey, a veteran behind the plate, to bring a bigger bat with her this season. Carrasco was a CGSA all-star last summer.
“The unity of the team this year is phenomenal,” Rogers said. “The team is getting along well. It’s totally different than it was last year. If Maya and her sister can stay healthy, I definitely expect us to make playoffs and to do well this year,” Rogers said.

Next week: John Glenn, Norwalk and Valley Christian.

Spamalot at Cerritos: Plenty to Like-a-Lot

2011-03-13T13:41:00.001-07:00

By Glen Creason

Once upon a time folks thought contemporary British humor just did not strike Yankee funny bones. Known for dry and quirky dialogue set in surrealistic situations comedy from England took a while to take hold in the colonies. By the mid twentieth century the Goon show with Peter Sellers or the “Carry-On” films that found their way across the big pond and made inroads to America. Then, in the late 1960’s a unique slant of such levity hit the US airwaves in the form of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” that took absurd situations and made them into memorably hilarious skits. To this day, an entire generation of Americans may shout lines like “you were lucky!” from Python episodes at random to express their feelings. The catch phrase was “and now for something completely different” which can sum up the Monty Python experience quite well since they are completely different in a very good way.
Since there have been a number of successful Monty Python films it seems almost logical in the illogical Python world that there would be a theater musical morphing out of all this silliness and finally “Spamalot” hit the boards in 2004. Written by Python great Eric Idle and borrowing from the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” this broadly painted comedy sort of examines the Arthurian legend. That is if you believe King Arthur trotted about on foot with a “footman” making horse hoof sounds with halved coconuts and Sir Lancelot was a gay dandy and the Lady of the Lake is glamorous but self-absorbed vamp. Audiences have believed it however and “Spamalot” swamped the Tony awards six years ago and won best musical by landslide.
At Cerritos the Phoenix Entertainment production did justice to the Broadway original bringing unbridled silliness to brilliant color that sparkled with a live orchestra, humorous sets and very strong cast. Steve McCoy as King Arthur handled his demanding part with great skill, never making the regent whiny or truly pathetic despite the terribly daunting obstacles put in his way including clueless knights of the round table, insulting Frenchmen, tall tree-people, the dreaded Knights that say Ni! and one very fierce rabbit. Caroline Bowman was perfect in voice and comedic timing as the Lady of the Lake singing like a chanteuse and delivering lines that gained huge laughs. Adam Grabau was particularly wonderful in four roles including a taunting Frenchman and the ruggedly gay Lancelot. Glenn Giron as long suffering servant Patsy and John Garry as the fey Prince Herbert also stood out in this laugh crowded forest. The entire ensemble worked beautifully together since much of the fun here is in the crisply timed dialogue of absurdity juxtaposed against logical arguments, peppered by the vernacular. There are also moments of improvisation and even some tailoring to local tastes as when the Lady of Lake performs with the Laker Girls in scene six. Moreover, the music is actually memorable, taken right from some Python bits. “Always Look on the Light Side of Life” is almost anthem-like and “Find Your Grail” has a melody worth whistling between horselaughs.

Cerritos Library Site of International Women’s Day Celebration

2011-03-13T13:40:00.002-07:00

The 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day will be celebrated Mar. 14 in the Skyline Room at the Cerritos Library by the American Association of University Women, Soroptimist International of Artesia-Cerritos, and the Woman’s Club of Artesia-Cerritos. The public is invited to attend and see the last century through the eyes of the women who shaped it. Refreshments will be served.

ABC Unified School District (ABCUSD) Holds 15th Annual Parent Leadership Conference

2011-03-13T13:40:00.001-07:00

The ABC Unified School District and the ABC Adult School, in collaboration with the ABC Council PTA, will host the 15th Annual Parent Leadership Conference on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel in Cerritos from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This award winning conference has more than 350 parent participants from ABC Unified Schools in the Cerritos, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens and Lakewood areas.
The theme is “Bridges to Empowerment; Parents – Schools - Community” and the keynote speaker is Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Mary Seiu, of the ABC Unified School District. The main subject of her address will be how the Parent Leadership Conference has empowered parents for the last 15 years to support their students as they grow to become leaders within the schools and community. The day’s activities will open with a special message from Dr. Gary Smuts, Superintendent of the ABC Unified School District, Dr. Pao-Ling Guo, Principal of ABC Adult School and Mrs. Cynthia Corrales, President of the ABC Council PTA.
Parents interested in participating in the conference should contact their child’s principal for registration information. For additional information please contact Ms. Georgia Grissom, conference coordinator, at 562-926-6734, ext. 25221.

Cerritos 1st CEB Adoption Committee Hosts 2nd annual "OK Corral" Bowl-A-Thon

2011-03-13T13:39:00.001-07:00

Soroptimist of Artesia-Cerritos Hosts Open House

2011-03-06T14:13:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Bernstein

The Soroptimist Chapter of Artesia-Cerritos held its 18th Monte Carlo fundraising event Feb. 26 in the Sierra Room at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Theme for the event was “An Evening in Casablanca”, taking those in attendance back to the year 1942.
A life-size framed poster of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart and a group of picture from the 1942 film “Casablanca” over looking the stage set the theme for an evening of fun and fine dining.
This year the Soroptimist raised over $47,000 gross. Monte Carlo Chairperson was Christina Alosi who expressed the club’s appreciation to local businesses and attendees for their donations and support.
In addition to the theme were casino-type games and donated prizes in the amounting to thousands of dollars. Turnip Rose catered a buffet with added dinner seating.
Monte Carlo is the major fundraiser for the chapter. Funds raised by the chapter benefit many charities, including Community Family Guidance Center, a non-profit mental health center serving Los Angeles County and provides counseling for emotionally disturbed children as well as child abuse victims and their families, Su Casa, which provides shelter for battered men and women and their families, Cerritos Junior Miss Scholarships, Cerritos College Foundation. Cheryl Epple Scholarship, Friends of Arts Education at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Artesia High School Special Dream Club, Tracy high School Teen Parent Program, Champions Run for Life, Jonathan Jaques Children Cancer Center at Miller’s Children Hospital, Cerritos Relay for Life [American Cancer Society], Women’s Opportunity Award, Violet Richardson Award, Make a Difference for Women Award and the June [Student] Scholarship.

Proposed ABC classroom cuts brings concerned parents to Board Meeting

2011-03-06T14:12:00.002-08:00

By Jerry Bernsein

An estimated 500 seniors and parents attended the ABC school board meeting Mar. 1 to seek a continuance of the District’s Adult Education programs and the District’s Elementary music education programs.
Board President Maynard Law opened the budget discussion by saying no decision would be made that night. “This is an open meeting in which board members will listen to your input and/or suggestions. “ He reminded those present that unlike the federal government, the board cannot print money to cover the $3-$10 million deficit the District faces, depending on the education cuts coming down from Sacramento. “We have to have a balance budget.”
Superintendent Dr. Gary Smuts said the Board must submit two balanced budgets to the Los Angeles County Board of Education. He said Budget “A” would be based on a continuance of the existing taxes the governor is seeking. This will result in an estimated District deficit of $3.5 million. Budget “B” will be predicated on the tax extension being defeated. That will leave the District with an estimated $10 million deficit if the governor carries out the cuts he has said will be necessary to balance the state budget.
Dr. Smuts said at the next board meeting he would submit the two budgets. The board may adopt them or they may make changes. “However they still must adopt two plans so they can be submitted to the County Board of Education. Nothing will be done after they are submitted.”
He said the Board would not take up the budget again until June 1. At that time they will know which budget to adopt. He reminded those present this was the fifth time the Board has had to do this. He said the state has already cut $28 million during the last few years from ABC’s budget. He said there isn’t any fat left to cut. From now on we have to start cutting the meat.
Four graduating high school seniors in attendance said they were present because they care. “We want the kids coming up behind us to have the same opportunities we had.” One student said when he joined the band at his elementary school; he was so bad they other kids gave him a nickname. But as the year went on, he became a better player. He said the band taught him he could reach out and communicate with the other kids. Other students asked the board to retain the elementary school [band] music program, saying the programs gave them confidence. It also teaches the importance of teamwork. One mother said Band [music] classes help the kids their entire life. Music makes the brain work.
One parent said the music programs helps the students become adults as they progress in the school program. Another said 84 percent of the elementary school in the country has dropped music education. “Are we going to be part of the 16 percent that has music programs or join the 84th percent?
Those enrolled in the District Adult Education School warned the board members if deeper cuts were made into the Adult Education program the school would not be able to offer quality education. They said just because many of the students are seniors, they should not be discarded. Other, who have children in elementary school but whose first language is not English said the ESL classes have not only helped them communicate with their children but their teachers too. Others said it has helped them on the job, with one gentleman saying because he can speak English better he has been promoted at work. Seniors in the water aerobics program said it was one of the few program seniors with back problems or arthritis can participate in without pain. “It’s good for our health.”
One teacher, who has taught for 41 years inquired about the proposed District Foundation. She said people will make donations to such a foundation if they know the money will be used for things they like such as the elementary school music programs, adult education classes etc. It was later explained the District has filed to make the foundation non-profit.

Tank demolition completed at former Norwalk tank farm

2011-03-06T14:12:00.001-08:00

By Jerry Bernstein
Contibution by
Mary Jane McIntosh

Demolition of the above ground tanks at the former fuel storage site owned by the Air Force started in December 2010 ws recently completed. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the contracting and demolition of the twelve large steel tanks and two smaller tanks. The Corps of Engineers notified the surrounding residents and school prior to the start of demolition activities. Water trucks were used to spray work areas to control dust and air monitoring was also conducted to ensure that there were no air quality risks to workers or residents.
The Norwalk Tank Farm was constructed in the 1920s by private oil companies before being purchased by the Air Force in the 1950s. It was used to store jet fuel, which was distributed to military installations in western United States. The military ended fuel operations at the site in 2001. Environmental cleanup operations began in 1995 and are continuing on the site.
Mary Jane McIntosh, Co-Chair of the Tank Farm Restoration Advisory Board remarked, “This has been a win-win for the community. Removal of the tanks will help further the cleanup efforts and will be beneficial in the eventual development of the site.” Removal of the concrete pads that were underneath several tanks is scheduled to begin in March 2011. The tank farm, formally known as the Norwalk Defense Fuel Supply Point, is located on the corner of Norwalk Boulevard and Excelsior Drive.
The Tank Farm goes back to the 1920’s. Since then a school, park and several residential areas have been built around it. Sitting on 58 acres, it has been a city concern since the late 1980’s when contamination of the soil and groundwater were found. Since then the city and representatives in Congress have been calling on the Defense Department to find alternatives to the Tank Farm. In 1999, 800 gallons of fuel seeped into the soil after leaking from rusty pipes.
The closing of the Tank Farm has been described as a milestone for the city and a victory for the city council. City officials praised Congresswoman Grace Napolitano who they said has worked diligently with the city in its efforts not only to close the site but have it cleaned up.

Cerritos Council votes to transfer photovoltaic system

2011-03-06T14:11:00.003-08:00

Will go from Cuesta Villas to City’s Corporate Yard.

By Jerry Bernstein

The Cerritos City Council approved a proposal to reallocate federal grant funding for the installation of a photovoltaic system originally allotted to Cuesta Villas senior housing project to the City Corporate Yard.
Assistant Engineer Kanna Vancheswaran said on Nov. 12, 2008, former Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order No. S1408, which raised California’s renewable energy goals from 20 percent to 33 percent by 2020. He said as a result, public utility providers such as Cerritos have a responsibility to work towards this goal by advancing renewable energy projects whenever possible.
In 2009 Congresswoman Linda Sanchez assisted Cerritos in garnering funding for the construction and installation of a proposed photovoltaic system to be incorporated into the Costa Villas Affordable Senior Housing Project. He said the proposed solar energy project would provide approximately 150,000 kilowatt hours of affordable renewable energy to the housing facility at a cost of $761,200.
The Department of Energy [DOE] would provide a 50 percent fund match in the amount of $380,600 to help offset the cost of the installation with the city expected to contribute the balance of $380,600. In addition the project must be implemented by April 1, 2012. Extensions of the latter are available for a maximum of two additional years.
Vancheswaran said due to delays implementing the housing project, staff sought potential options to utilize the grant within the time frame rather than risk losing the funding. The Corporate Yard was selected as a potential candidate. He said the Yard is the site of a recently completed Energy Block Grant project that installed 748 photovoltaic energy modules atop the Water Division’s six million gallon west reservoir and is capable of producing approximately 150,000 kilowatt hours annually, which is more than 50 percent of the total energy consumed at the Corporate Yard building. The cost of this initial
System was $520,000, which was entirely funded through a grant from the Department of Energy.
Staff estimates this second system will be capable of producing an additional 225,000 kilowatt-hours annually for a total annual production of approximately 375,000-kilowatt hours. Combined the two renewable projects with a value of $1.3 million of which $900,000 in federal grants, will provide all the energy needs of the 25,000 sq. ft. Corporate Yard main building as well as a significant proportion of the power needed to operate the city’s C-2 water well located in the Corporate Yard.
Because the project will be located at a Water facility and provide energy to directly serve the water utility, staff has proposed to utilize funds from the City’s Water Utility Fund for the necessary matching funds.
It was noted that design plans for the Cuesta Villas Senior Housing Project would continue to provide for the installation of a photovoltaic project to serve the residents of the project. The renewable energy project is intended to be funded by the Redevelopment Agency’s Low-and-Moderate Set Aside Fund.
Gridley Park
The Council approved a contract in the amount of $9,495 with Creative Contractors Corp. of Rancho Santa Margarita for the replacement of playground equipment at Gridley Park.
Vancheswaran said in order to minimize construction costs Public Works Maintenance staff will remove the existing playground equipment and clear the playground area in preparation for the installation of the new equipment.
The council also approved a proposed amendment to an existing agreement with the Artesia Cemetery District returning 100 ft. of land at the expiration of an initial five-year lease adjacent to the cemetery
In his report to the council, Vancheswaran said in addition to reducing the leased area, the city will maintain a fence separating Rosewood Park from the cemetery. Estimated cost of the fence relocation is $8,000.

A Perfect City vs. A Good City

2011-03-06T14:11:00.001-08:00

By Jerry Bernstein

On Mar. 8 Cerritos voters will be going to the polls to fill three city council seats. Incumbents Mayor Joseph Cho and Councilmember Bruce Barrows are seeking a second four-year term on the council. Five other candidates are seeking to fill the position being vacated by Mayor Pro Tem Laura Lee who is leaving the council because of term limits.
The five are former Mayor Grace Hu, Chris Fuentes, School Board member Mark Pulido, Harshad Mody and Kiran Rami. All are upstanding residents of the city. However, listening to some of them campaigning, one can’t help but wonder if they are seeking a seat on the Cerritos Council or another city.
Apparently our neighborhoods are in disrepair with the streets crumbling making it almost impossible to drive on them without hitting a pothole. Our neighborhood sidewalks are being uprooted by tree roots making it almost impossible to walk on them. One of the candidates accuses the Council of being a rubber stamp body that does everything the city manager allegedly dictates to them and is leading the city down to an abyss of “Bell” corruption.
The Performing Arts Theater has been described as a financial albatross around the city’s neck, ignoring the benefits it brings to the city in the way of theatergoers who frequent the city’s restaurants and shop at Cerritos stores, providing much needed sales tax to the city.
While Cerritos is not perfect, each of the candidates state they are proud of the city, its schools, its parks, and programs for both seniors and its children. However, the way some of them describe it, Cerritos sounds like a shantyville in a bad novel. Cerritos is not perfect, but its imperfections need to be looked at in perspective. If you attend or watch the city council on television, you know its members are listening to you when you come before them with a grievance. If an item is not on the council agenda the members can’t take any action on the matter, but it can and does ask the staff about it and if necessary instructs them to report back to them. The council can also recommend the matter be referred to one of the city’s commissions or put on the agenda for its next meeting when it can be discussed.
During this time of economic duress, resulting in job loss throughout California and the nation, Cerritos has managed to maintain its fiscal integrity, bringing new businesses into the city. The Cerritos Center is a good example with the new Nordstrom Department Store, Forever 21, Apple, and a new “Lazy Dog” restaurant scheduled to open March 9. The Cerritos Auto Square is once again vibrant, having climbed out of the recession doldrums.
It’s true the city is not immune to the recession and loss of revenue but Cerritos is solvent. The Council is aware of some of the needs in the neighborhoods and tries to address them, but they don’t ignore them. They are aware of the city walls that need to be repaired if not replaced, but unlike Merlin in King Arthur’s Court, it can’t wave a wand and new walls appear. The council has had to reduce the city’s budget that has slowed the city’s response to neighborhood concerns, but they are being addressed, if not as fast as some residents would want.

A Sixties Evening With Gary Lewis & the Playboys

2011-03-06T14:10:00.001-08:00

Sonny Geraci (Former Lead Singer of The Outsiders and Climax),
Dennis Tufano (Former Lead Singer of The Buckinghams), and
Ron Dante (Former Lead Singer of The Archies and The Cufflinks)
FRI, MAR 11, 2011, 8:00 PM
Lyric Configuration: $71/$59/$47

Groove to the songs that made the '60s one of the greatest eras in music history. Join Gary Lewis & The Playboys, who dominated the Top 10 with Count Me In, Save Your Heart for Me, Everybody Loves a Clown, and She's Just My Style; Sonny Geraci, the man behind the No. One singles Time Won't Let Me and Precious and Few; Dennis Tufano, whose Top 10 hits with The Buckinghams included Kind of a Drag, Don't You Care, and Back in Love Again; and Ron Dante, remembered for 1969's "Song of the Year," Sugar, Sugar.

Taiko 2.0

2011-03-06T14:09:00.001-08:00

On Ensemble With Russel Baba, Jeanne Mercer,
Kaoru Watanabe, and Patrick Graham
SAT, MAR 12, 2011, 8:00 PM
Lyric Configuration: $61/$49/$37

On Ensemble unites with Russel Baba and Jeanne Mercer for Taiko 2.0, a spectacular concert celebration of the ancient art of Japanese Taiko drumming. The collaboration, an engaging and colorful cultural extravaganza, also features flutist-Taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe and percussionist Patrick Graham.

The Lennon Sisters

2011-03-06T14:08:00.002-08:00

SUN, MAR 13, 2011, 3:00 PM
Lyric Configuration: $85/$70/$55

The Lawrence Welk Show turned The Lennon Sisters into household names. Dubbed "America's Sweethearts of Song," the ensemble charmed fans with music-chart favorites Tonight You Belong to Me and Sad Movies (Make Me Cry). In 2001, The Lennon Sisters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Manuel Barrueco and Cuartero Latinoamericano bring class to Cerritos

2011-03-06T14:08:00.001-08:00

By Glen Creason

The concert “Sounds of the Americas” at the Performing Arts Center was a perfect example of the great value of this theater to all of Southern California. While not packing the house, Manuel Barrueco and the Cuartero Latinoamericano performed a wonderfully challenging and uncompromising concert of compositions done by Latin American composers rarely heard in the southland. The choices came from all parts of
Central and South America and represented contemporary classical music from the 20th and 21st century, polished with plenty of verve and spirited playing. With one exception, Barrueco put himself within the group and essentially played as part of the whole making the Cuartero a Quintero. This shows the devotion of maestro Barrueco to the music since he is one of the most accomplished classical guitarists performing. Then again, the Cuartero plays at the highest level and he is in great company. The enthusiastic crowd of aficionados present certainly appreciated the effort and lusty shouts of bravo met the conclusion of this evening of fine music.
At Cerritos the show encompassed a large part of terra Latino including Barrueco’s native Cuba, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, and even that North American region known as Michigan. The program began with the sweetly lyrical and decidedly romantic “Las Presencias No. 6, Jeromita Linares” by Argentine Carlos Guastavino. With the guitarist leading the way the piece almost sounded like film music, full of a wistful sentimental quality but probably the most classical sounding on the program. This may have lulled the audience into a dreamy state but that was shaken loose by the rather avant-garde “Bay of Pigs” by Michigander Michael Daugherty, that was filled with tension and drama. At times there was more plucking of the violins, viola and cello than bowing but the overall effect was arresting especially in the pulsating “anthem” that completed the three pieces. “Metro Chabanaco” from Mexican Javier Alvarez was performed just by the string quartet in a driving and energetic tempo, reflecting the busy train station that inspired the piece.
The second half of the concert opened with Barrueco’s solo playing of the exquisite “Danza Lucumi” by Cuban émigré Ernesto Lecuona. While much of the program was daring and edgy this delicate and joyful dance was just like a warm, tropical gust of melody. “Boliviana” by the Uruguayan Miguel de Aguila was once more extremely evocative, much like good film music, beginning with the dark “returning home under the rain” and finishing with the bright “and the sun came out.” Lastly, were a set of compositions by the brilliant Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla called “tango sensations” then “milonga del Angel” and Muerte del Angel which expanded the tango and the listeners musical experience. This was music to ponder, not to dance to. The audience thought very well of the Piazzolla by standing and shouting bravos which drew the five gentlemen out for an encore that unfortunately was not announced from the stage but was beautifully done.

Cerritos Library to Host African American Authors

2011-03-06T14:07:00.002-08:00

Authors will include Daniel Armstrong, Flora Brown, Shirley and Bernard Kinsey, Attica Locke, Gary Phillips, Paul Woodring, and others.

The Links, Incorporated Orange County Chapter is partnering with the National Black MBA Association Los Angeles Chapter and the Cerritos Library to offer a special opportunity to meet several prominent African American authors, including Daniel Armstrong, Flora Brown, Shirley and Bernard Kinsey, Attica Locke, Gary Phillips, Paul Woodring and more.
Interesting panel discussions and book signings will be included in the event. For more information, call Padmini Prabhakar at (562) 916-1389.

La Palma Neighborhood Watch Honors Volunteers

2011-03-06T14:07:00.001-08:00

By Larry Caballero

More than 150 La Palma Neighborhood Watch Volunteers and guests attended its 26th Annual Awards Celebration Feb. 17 at the La Palma Community Center to recognize 37 volunteer Block Captains and Coordinators.
La Palma Neighborhood Watch was founded in 1985 to offer law enforcement “an extra set of eyes and ears in our homes and on our streets,” said President Dee Vincenti.
Police Chief Eric Nunez complimented the volunteers and said, “We value the bragging rights we have at law enforcement gatherings when we report that every month NW volunteers hand deliver a community newsletter to each resident of La Palma. Our city is a better place because of you.”
A special award was presented to District Coordinator Elfie Pangburn for her 25 years of service to the organization.

Cerritos 1st CEB Adoption Committee Hosts 2nd annual "OK Corral" Bowl-A-Thon

2011-03-06T14:06:00.003-08:00

The community is invited to participate in a fund raising Bowl-A-Thon to be held Saturday March 19, 2011 at AMF Cerritos Lanes, 18810 Carmenita Road, with registration starting at 12 noon. The Bowl-A-Thon benefits the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion from Camp Pendleton that was “adopted” by the City of Cerritos in November of 2007.
Entry fee is $25.00 per bowler which includes 2 games of bowling, rental shoes, ball, and “goody bag”. Business owners may also support this fundraiser by sponsoring a lane for either $50.00 or $25.00. Their business name will be displayed on a sign mounted on the scoring machine on one of the lanes, as well as on a handout distributed to all participants. In addition, the names of all businesses, donors, and supporters will be prominently displayed on a large poster at the registration table for all to see.
Non bowlers may help sponsor a Marine to bowl with a financial donation. Clubs, groups, friends and families may form their own teams. Space is limited so please call early to sign up and reserve your lane.
For information, please call Laurie Forward at 562-926-5971 or Joanne Witt at 562-860-2036.
All proceeds benefit the Marines of the 1st CEB and their families. The Cerritos 1st CEB Adoption Committee ships care packages filled with “comfort items” not readily available to the Marines deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Donations to the Wounded Warriors fund are also made in honor of those members of the 1st CEB who have been lost in combat. Each month a Meritorious Marine is honored with a proclamation from the city and provided with an entertaining weekend in Cerritos. The Cerritos 1st CEB Adoption Committee also helps sponsor the annual 1st CEB Family Day Picnic and the “welcome home” ceremony for the returning members of the 1st CEB and their families.
Come and show your support for the fine young men and women who serve our country with honor, integrity and valor.

Cerritos Optimist hold Girls Oratorical Contest

2011-03-06T14:06:00.001-08:00

The Cerritos Optimist Club held its annual Oratorical Contest for girls at the Cerritos Library Feb. 24. The contest was open to both middle and high school students. Ten girls competed in the contest representing Artesia, Cerritos, Gahr and Whitney High Schools, plus Haskell and Ross Middle Schools.
An estimated 100 people were in attendance, including parents, teachers, members of the ABC School Board, and Optimists. The three judges were retired ABC teacher Betty Hyatt, former Artesia High band director Victor Solotoff, and Joy Darling, a former United States Attorney.
“If I Were Leader of the Free World” was the topic of discussion. First place winner was Avita Kapyur, a senior at Whitney High School. Tonya Lee, a sophomore from Cerritos High School, won second place. Finishing third was senior Marbella Borja of Artesia High School.
In addition to receiving gold, silver and bronze medals, monetary prizes in the amount of $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place were awarded to the top three contestants. The first place winner will move on to the Optimist Zone Contest, which will be held at Mayfair High School in April. The Boys Oratorical Contest will be held Mar. 3 at the Cerritos Library.

Haskell Students Earn 4.0 First Semester

2011-03-06T14:05:00.001-08:00

Thirty-seven Haskell Middle School seventh and eighth grade students earned a First Semester grade of 4.0, receiving Certificates of Recognition from their teachers at an outdoor ceremony Feb. 23. Nineteen were seventh grade students and 18 were eighth grade students. The seventh grade students included Yvette Galicia, Briana Johnson, Shefali Kumar, Darren Lin, Guinevere Manalad, Alaina Newman, Shivani Patel, Jenna Semaan, Alexia Sillas, Stephanie Soklim, Joseph Tejano, Catherine Tran, Eric Tran, Blake Wesselman, and Jesse Zepeda. Eighth Grade students earning a 4.0 grade average were Akash Ahir, Gabriel Cabra, Samuel Castro, Arely Colindres, Kasey Cordova, Kelly Crow, Maria Jose De Loera, Bianca Dominguez, Martina Kim, Michael Moon, Eugene Olivar, Alyssabeth Reyes, Stephany Rogriguez, Rochelle Shen, Denise Soto, Amir Sulaimani, Lillan Tang. and Vincent Tran.

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

2011-03-06T14:04:00.002-08:00

Potts carries Gahr on his shoulders in fourth quarter, Gladiators advance to finals

By Loren Kopff

VILLA PARK-Davon Potts was determined to play for a California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section divisional championship one last time. And the senior was going to take his Gahr team with him at no costs.
Potts scored 12 of his team’s 17 points in the fourth quarter and the Gladiators staged a remarkable second half comeback to upset third ranked Foothill 71-70 in a Division II-A semifinal game last Friday night at Villa Park High School. Gahr, which fell to Harvard-Westlake two seasons ago in the Division III-A title game, will face fifth ranked Mayfair, Saturday night at the Anaheim Arena. Potts scored a game-high 32 points, was 12 of 15 from the field and five of six from the free throw line. Potts, senior Javonte Sales and junior Anthony Martinez, are the only members from that Gahr team two seasons ago.
“We had to pull something out of us,” Potts said. “I told them at halftime we can’t say, ‘would have, could have, should have’ to get to the championship. Coach told me to play the one and if they crash, then dish it off. I have trust in my teammates to knock down shots early. Even though we didn’t knock down shots early, I told them to relax, set your feet and we would get the shots off.”
Moments after the victory, Gahr first-year head coach Ricky Roper summed up the game with four words: “Davon Potts, Javonte Sales”.
“They’re Gahr legends and as long as I’m at Gahr, I’ll be talking to some kid who’s in the seventh grade right now about those two,” Roper said.
Seventh ranked Gahr (23-7), which trailed by as many as 16 points midway through the second quarter, was behind 51-38 with 5:07 left in the third quarter. But the Gladiators scored five straight free throws, and then got a basket from junior Michael Alvarez following a steal from sophomore Kyle Benton. Later in the stanza, Potts cut Gahr’s deficit to a bucket but Foothill’s Steven Browne put back his own rebound at the buzzer to give the Knights a 58-54 lead.
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Rob Filley’s three-pointer increased the margin to 61-56. Filley and Cooper Pickell each led Foothill with 20 points. However, it would be Foothill’s last field goal for the next three and a half minutes. That’s when Potts took over. He sank a pair of three-pointers and got help from Sales, who had struggled up to this point, as part of an 11-0 run.
Sales had been mired in a slump that saw him miss his first eight field goals, turn the ball over six times and collect four fouls, the last coming with 6:14 remaining in the contest. But his assist to Potts gave Gahr the lead for good at the 4:46 mark. Then 18 seconds later, Sales had a steal and scored his only field goal.
“Javonte is mentally tough to where he can get out of a slump,” Potts said. “I’m actually glad he got out of it because we needed him.”
“He didn’t have his best game but he played like a champion,” Roper said. “Sometimes that’s what you have to do. You have to respond when you’re not having a good game. Potts just decided in the quarterfinals and tonight that he was going to take over.”
The last basket from Potts gave Gahr its biggest lead of the game at 67-61 with 3:44 remaining. But he and Sales were true on their free throws the rest of the way.
The second place representatives from the Century League were staked to a 13-3 lead less than four minutes into the game. Potts later stated that he didn’t think his team was mentally ready.
But the Gladiators responded to score 11 straight points including the first of three perimeter baskets from Potts which gave Gahr its first lead at 14-13. Foothill answered that with a 20-4 run and it seemed that Gahr would lose in the semifinals for the second straight season.
“We weren’t playing our best ball but we haven’t given up all year,” Roper said. “This is a mentally tough group.”
The 32 points from Potts was one fewer than he scored three nights earlier at J.W. North. Potts, who is averaging 20.9 points per game, scored in the 30’s for the fourth time this season. Alvarez added 10 points while junior John Benson grabbed seven rebounds. Gahr was 50 percent from the field and at one point made seven straight baskets from the final 49 seconds of the third quarter to midway of the fourth quarter.
Gahr will try for a third time to win a CIF divisional championship, having also been denied in 1999. The Gladiators will hook up with the champions of the Suburban League, who upset top ranked Peninsula in the semifinals. Mayfair enters the game at 25-5 and is led by Dion Wright (16.4 points per game) and Brian Wright (10.4 ppg.). Gahr and Mayfair have played six common opponents-Artesia, Cathedral Catholic, Cerritos, La Mirada, Los Osos and Price-and are a combined 13-2 against those clubs.
“Me and Javonte and the rest of the team know it’s not about going to the championship game,” Potts said. “It’s about winning the championship.”
“What I’ve been through with my fiancé, the parents, the faculty and everybody has been really unbelievable,” Roper said. “They didn’t have to accept me but they did. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

2011-03-06T14:04:00.001-08:00

Valley Christian falls short of going back to divisional finals

By Loren Kopff

MOORPARK-With a few snowflakes falling outside of Moorpark College last Saturday night, the action was heating up inside when Valley Christian faced Oaks Christian in a California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division IV-A semifinal game. But the Lady Crusaders found themselves playing catch-up nearly the entire game and were knocked off by the top ranked Lions 54-49.
Fourth ranked V.C., which was in division V-AA last season where it lost to Serra in the title game, trailed by as many as 11 points but got to within three points, the last time coming with 22.2 seconds remaining in the game. V.C. will now apply as an at-large to the state playoffs. The pairings for the state playoffs will be released on Sunday.
“Both sides definitely were battling,” said V.C. head coach Katie Hardeman. “They were probably a more skilled team than us. They’re a much more well rounded team. They should have beaten us by a lot more. But I was very proud with my girls and they have nothing to be ashamed of with that loss.”
Junior Kari Korver scored V.C.’s first six points which gave the team a four-point lead 87 seconds into the game. But Oaks Christian opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run and the Olympic League champions were never the same. After Korver scored a dozen points in the first quarter on four of five shooting from the field, Crystal Owusu and Brianna Barrett made sure Korver would not have a repeat performance the rest of the way. Korver was two of 10 from the field after the first quarter and had to earn her points the hard way by driving to the basket and hoping to get fouled. Korver scored a game-high 23 points and was eight of 10 from the charity stripe.
“It was going to make it really hard for Kari to where any shot she got was going to be heavily, heavily contested,” Hardeman said. “She still made some insane shots in the first half. It’s just a credit to her that she kept us in the game in the first half and that she was able to get to the free throw line in the second half.”
Owusu scored 11 points in the first half but Barrett spent the majority of the second half covering Korver and scored 13 of her team-high 20 points in the second half.
V.C. (19-10) trailed 31-20 late in the first half but scored the final six points of the half on a pair of baskets from senior Jelissa Holder and two free throws from Korver. Holder then put back an offensive rebound 25 seconds into the second half. But with the score 33-30, the Lions began to pull away with an 8-1 run. Even though the second half scoring was tied between the two teams, V.C. was seven of 20 from the field while the second place representatives from the Tri Valley League were five of 18.
Korver also had 11 rebounds and four steals while Holder added 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and five steals. But the two of them were plagued with foul trouble throughout the game with Korver getting her fourth foul before the end of the third quarter and Holder hers midway through the final stanza.
“We needed one more person to be hitting and we didn’t have it,” Hardeman said. “They have a lot more weapons than we do, but I felt we played to our capabilities where we’re sneaky and scrappy and we’re able to make them turn it over a couple of times.”

Cerritos Little League Baseball hopes to bounce back

2011-03-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

By Loren Kopff

If it seems as if the Cerritos Little League Baseball organization is brand new, there’s a good reason to believe that. However, the only things that will look different when the season begins later this month will be a new board of directors, a new attitude and of course, new players to mix in with the old ones.
Despite the Cerritos Little League going through some disarray which ended with the defection of the previous board a few months ago, a new board was put together in January when former parents received an e-mail that the league was being terminated due to a low turnout, said President Jason Tani.
“This year was the first year that there was a little bit of disarray in the league,” Tani said. “The former president and the former board of directors basically got discouraged with the turnout of the kids. It’s unacceptable to cancel a season. It’s unacceptable to terminate a league that has been here three, four, five decades.
“We are starting with a core group of parents,” Tani added. “These are parents who may have received communication that [the previous seasons] have been cancelled or that the league has been terminated. The parents who came back are truly the parents who have, to a certain point, a commitment or loyalty to the league.”
Lately, the Cerritos Little League has seen a drop off in the number of players but despite that, Tani, who played little league baseball in Cerritos in 1980, says there has always been a Cerritos Little League. But he added that he has noticed less involvement in the past 15-20 years, not just in Cerritos, but also across the country.
“Specifically in the city of Cerritos, we are incredibly fortunate because we have an incredible city that runs many different types of recreational leagues,” Tani said. “Cerritos, at this time, literally has three baseball leagues-The City of Cerritos recreational league, Frontier Youth Baseball League and now the Cerritos Little League. When you put all of those together, there are definitely enough platforms for kids to come out to have a good time, play and make friendships.”
With two weeks to go before the opening day ceremonies and the first games, between 100-125 youngsters ranging from four to 14 years old have signed up for this upcoming season. Last season, there were approximately 200 players spread out over five age divisions: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-12 and 13-14. Tani said he believes this season will be stronger in the younger divisions. He also stated that at least one team will represent each of the age divisions.
“It’s absolutely a low starting point but I guess to me, one child was a starting point,” Tani said. “Anything above one, to me, is advancement. It’s definitely a low turnout number but ultimately, what we have to remember, is we want to be able to provide an incredible experience whether it’s one or 60 or 90 or 2,000.”
Tani said that since January, so many parents have become more involved. There were five consecutive Saturday’s of registration at Cerritos Park East and tryouts will take place on Saturday at Joe Gonsalves Park. Then three weeks later, former Seattle Mariners Rickey Cradle will headline the opening day festivities as he will throw out the first pitch. Cradle was a former Cerritos Little League player and attended Cerritos High School. Last season, he was an assistant for the Dons. Cradle was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 1991 draft.
Also attending the opening day ceremonies will be first-year Cerritos High baseball head coach Chris Aquino, who played at Long Beach State University for four years and Assembly member Tony Mendoza. The ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m. at Gonsalves Park and lasts approximately 90 minutes. The first games will commence that afternoon.
“For me, coming back this year and kind of taking a leadership role in the league and having several leagues is nothing new,” Tani said. “We have enough kids here by all means to have successful leagues.”

Dr. Urban on Today’s Dentistry: Care for our aging teeth

2011-03-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

Methuselah reportedly lived to the ripe old age of 969 (is that doggie years?). Conveniently he missed the great flood by a week and probably didn’t brush and floss every day because he lost his teeth 800 years earlier. I am sure that if he had cared for his teeth and seen his dentist he could have held on to them much longer.
As we all know aging takes its toll on our physical attributes. The mouth and our dentition are not immune to the march of time. Let me briefly review some of the most common changes that can occur.
Saliva output usually diminishes as we get older. It makes sense considering other glands in our bodies start slowing down as well as the salivary glands. Eventually a “dry mouth” condition develops and teeth lose their lubricating and protective film. Oral bacteria flourish and destructive decay and gum disease that had been in remission for our “mid-life” years returns. There are several over the counter products that can promote salivary output to ease the feeling of dry mouth. Prescription formulations are available for more severe types of dry mouth.
As teeth wear against each other there is microscopic loss of the hard tooth enamel. Through the years this enamel wears thin or entirely disappears until the softer dentin core of the tooth is exposed. At this point the wear rate becomes rapid and the teeth will become noticeably shorter. The smile becomes old and worn and the teeth may look jagged and twisted due to the uneven wearing of the edges. The youthful healthy appearances of the face changes and the teeth no longer show up in a smile. Your dentist can restore lost tooth structure or make removable mouth guards to slow down this wear rate.
If Methuselah drank coffee, tea, and soda drinks for 969 years, his teeth darkened from food stains leaking into the enamel. This probably started when he was 40 years old. He probably didn’t notice because there were not a lot of mirrors and models on magazine covers to remind him of what he looked like. Fortunately for us there are products which can be applied that will help restore the teeth to a more attractive and brighter shade.
Your dentist can monitor and advise you of how your dentition is “accepting” the aging process. Early warning signs can be detected and monitored by regular visits to your dental team.

For answers to your dental questions, contact Douglas Urban, D.D.S.
Cerritos, CA 90703 562 924-1523
www.DrDouglasUrban.com

Artesia City Council Repeats its Opposition To Dismantling Redevelopment Agencies

2011-02-19T12:10:00.001-08:00

By Jerry Bernstein

The Artesia City Council reiterated its opposition to Governor Jerry Brown’s proposal to abolish Redevelopment Agencies in California by July 1 at its Feb. 14 meeting. The council also took offense to a statement made by at a joint sub-committee hearing of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation by Rep. Dickinson (D-Sacramento) that due to the States budget crisis, Redevelopment Agencies are not in a place where they can just say no to the Governor’s proposal. He commented there was a need to revise how property tax revenue was distributed. His comment was echoed by the joint committee Co-Chairs Rep. Buchanan (D-Alamo) and Rep. Perea (D- Fresno).
Artesia Mayor Victor Manalo said he was not very happy about that statement. He said it was ridiculous that “we who have such a stake in this proposal are not being consulted. Apparently we’re suppose to just take it in the stomach.” He said if this attitude continues to exist we have to contact members of the legislature we have connections with just to make sure our voice is being heard.
In other business the Council continued to a special meeting on Feb 28 a request by Roger Patel who needs 13 additional parking spaces for expansion of his restaurant on Pioneer Boulevard. Patel is seeking to pay a parking In-Lieu parking fee until such time as firm plans are adopted to provide permanent parking in the downtown area. Discussion centered on a surface parking lot or construction of a parking structure on 186th Street and Corby Avenue and/or surface parking on the MTA Right of Way on the east side of Pioneer Boulevard. Patel said he is losing money since the tenant has vacated the premises to make room for the expansion of the restaurant.
The Council awarded a contract to Ventura Construction, Inc. in the amount of $138,400 for construction of modular restroom facilities in the area immediately to the rear of the Historic District Museum and will serve the museum and the Old Fire Station Museum.
In December 2007 the Redevelopment Agency issued tax increment bonds for the project.
In December 2010 staff reported that $966,965.00 was the available balance in the Historical District project funds. The restroom project is one of several projects slated for the district.
In other business the Council approved nine applications for fireworks stand permits at $150 per permit. Seeking a permit were the Cerritos Rod & Gun Club, Gahr High School Band Boosters, Gahr High School Sports Program, Cerritos High School Band Boosters, Cerritos High School Football, Artesia Punishers, Ross Middle School Arts, Parents of 593, and Artesia Chamber of Commerce. Voting against the permits was
Concilmember John Lyons, who said he is against having fireworks in the city.
The Council approved a Conditional Use Permit for an automobile service station and mini-mart located at 16809 Pioneer Blvd. The property is located on the Commercial General (CG) Zone. Applicant is Salb Alababadi.
The Council also approved a non-exclusive agreement for Youth Baseball Officiator services with Albert Bustos. Parks and Recreation Superintendent Melissa Gobas told the council Bustos has been providing umpire services for the youth baseball/softball league since 2008.
In other business the council continued a discussion on whether to permit bingo in the city to its next meeting. Councilmembers appeared confused on the type of Bingo they were discussing. Councilmember Michele Diaz said her idea was to raise money for charities. However, there appeared to be confusion on whether they were thinking about a Bingo Club similar to the one in Hawaiian Gardens or fundraising bingo permitted by many cities for churches and/or service clubs that play once a week under a city permit.

Lazy Dog Café to Open March 9 at Los Cerritos Center

2011-02-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

As part of the Los Cerritos Center’s recent expansion project, the 7,489-square-foot Lazy Dog Cafe currently under construction is scheduled to open on Mar. 9.The restaurant is located between California Pizza Kitchen and Nordstrom and will be the eighth location of the Southern California concept restaurant.
The restaurant will offer extensive lunch and dinner menus featuring items inspired by cultures around the world, including influences from Italy, South America, China, France and classic Americana. The bar offers the full lunch and dinner menus and high-definition plasma televisions for sports fans. Dog lovers are also permitted to bring their pets to the restaurant’s patio area while enjoying a lunch or dinner outdoors.

Cerritos girls soccer team advance to California state championships March 12

2011-02-19T12:08:00.002-08:00

The Cerritos Firecrackers girls’ soccer team won the American Youth Soccer Organization’s Section 11 title by a 2-1 score over Corona Del Mar on Sunday, February 13 to qualify for the AYSO California State Championships to be held at the Chapman Sports Complex in Garden Grove on March 12.
The Firecrackers, a 15-member team of 13- and 14-year old girls, are part of the AYSO Region 54 Cerritos soccer program and now one of only four teams statewide that will compete in the prestigious AYSO California Championships next month. The Firecrackers began their road to playing for the state championship by first winning the Region 54 league title to qualify for area playoffs. The Firecrackers faced strong teams from Cypress, W. Garden Grove, Whittier, Los Alamitos and Garden Grove to reach the area final before taking home to the playoffs’ top medal with a 4-0 victory over a team from Los Alamitos.

Next, the Firecrackers won the Section 11 tournament by winning all four of its games by the same score of 2-1. The Cerritos team won its opening section game on Saturday morning against La Mesa when Karen Malacon expertly put away from a cross from Juliana Orozco as time was expiring. In the afternoon game, the Firecrackers rallied to beat San Juan Capistrano thanks to goals by Rubi Vazquez and Madison Wells. With a place in the section final at stake, Cerritos girls delivered a gutsy performance against a talented South Gate squad and a pair of goals by Vazquez sent the team to the championship.
The girls then played their best game of the year on Sunday afternoon, as they produced scoring chance after scoring chance in the first half against Corona Del Mar. Their perseverance paid off in the final half with Madison Wells and Juliana Orozco beating the Corona Del Mar goalkeeper to send the Cerritos’ supporters into frenzy. Corona Del Mar made the score 2-1 in the final seconds of the game and when the final whistle sounded the local girls had secured their berth in the state championships. As winners, the Cerritos girls claimed the top spot in a tough section that is made up of nearly 70 regions and featuring around 300 teams in this division.
In midfield or in attack, Cheyenne Avila, Isabel Garcia, Marissa Pacheco, Cynthia Rogel and Vanessa Van Deudekom ran tirelessly and chased every ball to provide the forwards with opportunities to score. At the back, defensive captain Summer Jordan and talented young central defender Kaylie Mota turned away every challenge, while fullbacks Justine Vitug, Ariel Burns and Lauren Miranda played their roles to perfection while often facing the opposing teams’ best offensive players. Karina Mayoral, who has improved with every game as the team’s starting goalkeeper, made a bucketful of outstanding saves while providing leadership in defense.
For the season, the Cerritos Firecrackers’ overall record is 17 wins, one loss and two ties. The team has scored 61 goals in 20 games while allowing only eight. Madison Wells is the leading scorer with 19 goals followed by Rubi Vazquez with 15, Juliana Orozco with 10 and Karen Malacon with six. Several of this team’s players are also on the Cerritos region’s All Star team that will try to advance this upcoming weekend to the AYSO California State All Star Championships.
The California State Championships cover over 260 regions. There are an estimated 800 teams in the Girls U14 division statewide. Sign-ups for the Cerritos Region 54 Fall 2011 season will take place in the summer. For more information visit the region’s internet site at www.ayso54.org.

Supervisor Don Knabe Calls for Bi-Partisan Budget Solution

2011-02-19T12:08:00.001-08:00

State deficit now projected to be $28 billion.

By Jerry Bernstein

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, speaking before Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon Feb. 10, said the only way to solve the state budget deficit is for a bi-partisan solution. “I have news for you, “he stated, “the state deficit of $25 billion is now $28 billion.”
He said there was a new buzzword, “realignment.” He said everyone in the room from businessmen to educators, will be impacted.
“We had a $500 billion economy in Los Angels County and the region. We represent the 19th largest economy in the world driven by imports and exports. Today we are in a very stressful economic situation.” He said a look at the last 30 years reveals the county of Los Angeles and its 80 cities have added almost three million residents to the population and only about 500,000 jobs. That is not a good sign,” he stated. “ The city of Los Angeles, for example, which represents 40 percent of the county’s population, has added approximately one million residents since 1980 but has not created one new net job.” He said we can’t print money to solve the budget deficit. It’s all about creating jobs. Here in Los Angeles County the employment rate is 12.7 percent.
He said the state legislature has introduced nine new bills He wanted to know who was carrying the bill to cover the $28 billion deficit. He said he has accepted the governor’s plan to give local government more responsibility [realignment]. However, he warned local government must be careful that his proposal comes with attached purse strings. “We cannot allow the governor to resolve the state’s budget deficit on the backs of local government.” He cited as an example the proposal to move state inmates to county jails. Who is going to pay for their incarceration? he asked.
Knabe said programs shifted from the state to the counties in 2004-5 were not accompanied by complete state funding. “The state still owes us about $250,000. He said California has the highest number of four-year colleges and universities in the country. “If we eliminated every state university and college and closed down the California Highway Patrol we still would not have enough money to resolve the budget deficit. “We need to create jobs that will generate revenue.
He said a $28 billion deficit was not going to be resolved in a short period of time. What is needed as we move forward is to solve it in a bi-partisan way. He said he believes by working together with our state representatives we can solve the deficit. “We know what we have to do,” he asserted.
Asked how long he believes it will take the state to climb out of the hole it is in, the Supervisor said he believes it will take about three years. He said he believes the “realignment” will mean everything will have to be renegotiated, in the field of education and in business. He said the good old days are gone. He believes government employees will have to start contributing to their pension fund like everyone else.

Candidate Bruce Barrows

2011-02-19T12:07:00.002-08:00

Dear residents,
At the last forum, hosted by American Association of University Women (La Palma and Cerritos). Our current Council was accused of being out of touch with our residents due to the fact that we have reached an impasse with our employees Union. For several reasons I feel that this accusation is misplaced. First, I believe my responsibility is to our residents as set forth in our charter. Second, also according to our charter, the City Manager is the employee of the Council who represents us in administration of all the employees, except those under the City Clerk.
Normally, the employees union starts negotiating with our City Staff 3 or 4 months before we finalize a budget, as that allows us to reflect any potential financial impacts. This year, we were presented a list of demands after the budget. (please visit the City’s website and visit the July 8, 2010 Council meeting to listen and watch the demands as presented. Copies of those demands are available from our City Clerk.) After more than two dozen meet and confers between the union and the city representative (an Attorney retained by the City) we reached an impasse. To date, we haven’t been able to bring about a settlement.
While we, the Council, hold our employees in very high regard, we haven’t been able to meet the public demands by the union because they present several distinct problems. First, the Union, wants a seat at any table where management discussions are held and for them to have the ability to influence the outcome. This is a clear violation of our charter which holds the Council accountable to the residents and the City Manager accountable to the Council. The Union desires to have a say with no accountability.
Another problem, with the economic recession and difficulties with Sacramento’s deficits and their attempts to raid city funds is that our Union is seeking a pay increase. Ours sales taxes are down these last two years and the city, as I explained last week, has reduced spending by over 11% and cut a cumulative amount of almost $18 Million. We have also started out each year budgeting to draw from our reserves and haven’t done so, yet. There is simply no room to give a pay increase. Still, some Union members feel we should draw down our reserves to finance a pay increase. However, when asked, who is going to pay increased cost and pension costs once the reserves are gone, the union has no answer.
The union is supporting two candidates during this election, who have stated they strongly support the Union and are proud of their endorsement. At the Forum held by the Chamber, one candidate stated that he supports their management participation demands.
I have high respect for our employees, at all levels and in all departments. I also understand a union putting a large number of requests on the table and then working down to something reasonable. Only today, we don’t have the revenue to do the give and take that normally happens during the negotiations. Our residents expect the council to be prudent, which we have been. I promise to continue to fight to protect the city’s finances and maintai