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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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?

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

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

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?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.