It helps the low-income homeowner maintain his or her dwelling with minor repairs and with reduced-cost building materials and supplies from a restore, according to Erin G. Rank, president and chief executive officer for Habitat’s Greater Los Angeles affiliate now based here at 8739 Artesia Blvd.

“We have a special fund to make home repairs for veterans and a fund to repair or replace mobile homes if owned by the qualifying occupant,” Rank said.

Called “Habitat for Heroes,” the veterans’ program seeks to assist, engage, mobilize and educate military members and veterans about the program and services.

“The ReStore was established in 2004 to provide a self-sustaining funding source and to provide our local communities with low-cost building and home improvement materials,” Rank said, adding that many of the items are sold at about half the retail cost.

Also for sale at the ReStore is used furniture and home appliances donated to Habitat.

Board members of the nonprofit, established in 1990, said that people were calling, asking if they could donate used items, but we could not accept them.

“The ReStore also helps the environment by keeping building materials and used items out of area landfills,” Rank said. “Building materials make up about half the tonnage taken to landfills.”

Some of the materials and building supplies, such as paint and lumber, may be used in constructing a home if it gets quality approved by cities where homes are being built.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and its ReStore moved to Bellflower last year from Gardena, where is was in rented quarters.

“When the Bellflower site became available, we decided it would be less expensive to own our own buildings,” Rank said.

An affiliate office and ReStore is located in Torrance.

As of July 1, both ReStores are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ian McGough is manager of the Bellflower store.

The ReStore will pick up donated items free of charge, except for a $5 fuel fee.

Since its founding in 1990, the local Habitat chapter has built or repaired more than 1,000 homes locally and internationally.

The organization is nationwide and has about 1,600 affiliates in the United States and in 70 other countries.

On May 16, Habitat began building six units in Downey and also has built homes in Culver City, Long Beach, Lynwood, Norwalk and Montebello.

In some cities, Habitat for Greater Los Angeles acts as a community housing development organization, which allows cities to allocate federal funds as loans for construction, to be repaid by the sale of the homes.

The latest project is in Bellflower where the City Council June 27 allocated a loan of $250,000 in federal funds for construction of six units at 8809 Ramona St. to the local Habitat affiliate, Partnership Housing Inc.

The loan is to be repaid with proceeds from the sale of the units to occupants.

Six three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhomes will be built on the currently vacant 1,690-square-foot site Habitat representative Darrell Simien, director of real estate, told the City Council.

Habitat was founded by a Christian group in 1976 but serves all low-income residents and accepts volunteer work from the entire community.

Rank has a $20 million annual budget with funding from the ReStore, cities using federal funds and private individuals, businesses and corporations.

She has a nine-member staff and help from more than 10,000 volunteers including in the ReStore and construction of the homes.

Prospective homebuyers their families must perform up to 500 hours of what Habitat calls “Sweat Equity,” working on the building, must be low-income eligible, but with good credit and able to make a small down-payment, must take two Habitat education programs and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

“I started with Habitat as a volunteer and enjoyed the work and accepted when the board offered me a full-time position,” Rank said. “I was the [L.A.] chapter’s first paid staff member.”

The Habitat for Humanity for Greater Los Angeles board is composed of 23 members from the business and faith communities in the area. The current chairman is Bill Blake, senior vice president of Zurich North America, an insurance company.

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After opening ceremonies, there is a survivor’s lap around a track, followed by an evening luminaria  ceremony in which bags of sand with lighted candles are placed around the track in memory cancer victims.

The event is open to the public free of charge to spectators. There is food for purchase, cancer information booths and live entertainment.

Information: Robin Snow at (562) 404-1287.

Other upcoming events include:

Friday, July 8

Political fundraiser: Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-South Gate; and union official Maria Elena Durazo speak at a breakfast fundraiser for Bell City Councilwoman Ana Maria Quintana from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at Mole de Los Reyes, 6242 Maywood Ave., Bell, to kick off her campaign for the March 2017 municipal election.

Teen art programs: The Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway, offers art programs for young people 3 to 17 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Each week features a new visiting artist who will teach those present something about mosaic tiles, origami, headdresses or something else they can make. (562) 868-0775

Library market: A farmers market is open in the Bruggemeyer Library parking lot, 318 S. Ramona Ave., Monterey Park, from 4 to 8 p.m. It features fresh and organic fruits, vegetables and flowers grown at California farms. Also available are hummus, breads and tamales, raw honey from Energy Bee Farms, peaches from Arnett Farms and a wide selection of Asian vegetables from Vu Produce of Fresno. (626) 307-1388

Rabies clinic: Low-cost vaccinations ($6) are given at a pet clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. on the Norwalk City Hall lawn, 12700 Norwalk Blvd. Microchipping services and flea control products also are available and dog licenses can be renewed. All dogs must be on a leash. (562) 929-5711

Saturday, July 9

Downey market: A farmers market offers fresh produce and other items from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Downey Avenue between Second and Third streets in Downey. Parking is available in the city’s parking structure there or on marked spaces on surrounding streets. (562) 904-7284

Monday, July 11

Bellflower market: A farmers market operates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Simms Park, 16614 S. Clark Ave., Bellflower. Fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants, breads, sprouts, honey and more are available. (562) 866-7510.

South Gate market: Harbor Area Farmers Markets sponsors a farmers market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Gate Park, Tweedy Boulevard and Walnut Avenue. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, fish, eggs, honey, baked items and gardens plants are available. (323) 774-0159

Dance class:Michael Trusnovec, a principal dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Co., hosts a master class on modern dance for intermediate and advanced dance students from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. (562) 692-0921

Junior golf: Youngsters from 7 to 17 may participate in the Pico Rivera Junior Golf Club at the Pico Rivera Golf Course, 3260 Fairway Drive, from 5 to 6 p.m. Cost is $10 per week or $30 for the month. (562) 692-9933

Park concert: The city of Whittier’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services conducts a free concert at 7 p.m. at Central Park, 6532 Friends Ave., featuring Blackburn County, a country band. Pets, barbecues and alcoholic beverages are not allowed. (562) 567-9400

Tuesday, July 12

Farmers market: The Norwalk Committee on Aging conducts a farmers market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Excelsior High School south parking lot, on the south side of Alondra Boulevard west of Pioneer Boulevard. Fresh fruits, flowers, vegetables and fish are available.

Wednesday, July 13

Fresh produce:The Huntington Park Farmers Market offers fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and other items from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Salt Lake Park, 3401 E. Florence Ave. (323) 584-6218

Pet vaccination: A low-cost vaccination clinic for dogs and cats is offered by the city of Santa Fe Springs from 5 to 8 p.m. at Santa Fe High School, 10400 Orr and Day Road. Rabies vaccination and flea control products are available. (562) 409-1850

Golf program: Women in Business conduct a golf program from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lakewood Country Club, 3101 Carson St. Cost is $15 for lessons and shooting a few holes. Food is available for purchase. RSVP to Vivian Hansen, ceo@NorwalkChamber.com or Jodee Kilroy at advertise@lakewoodchamber.com

City Hall concert: The Norwalk Parks and Recreation Department conducts a free concert at 7 p.m. featuring Como La Flor Band, a Selena tribute, on the north lawn of the Civic Center, 12700 Norwalk Blvd. Those attending may bring blankets, lawn chairs and food, but food also is available for purchase. (562) 929-5702

Twilight concert: Downey’s free Twilight Summer Concert series at 7 p.m. at Furman Park, 10419 Rives Ave., features Knyght Ryder, playing music of the 1980s. Those attending may bring blankets and lawn chairs and food, although Miss Downey and members of the Downey Rose Float Association are selling snacks as a fundraiser. (562) 904-7238 

Thursday, July 14

Coloring club: The Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway, conducts a coloring club called Color us Happy from 1 to 2 p.m. Coloring is a no-pressure art form that helps people unwind from a day at the office. Materials are provided. (562) 868-0775

Paramount concert: The Paramount Parks and Recreation Department conducts a free concert by Mariachi Divas, an all-woman band, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Paramount Park, 14400 Paramount Blvd. (562) 220-2121

Concert in Bell Gardens: The Bell Gardens Parks and Recreation Department hosts a free concert at Veterans Park, 6662 Loveland St., at 7 p.m. featuring 1980s music by Past Action Heroes. Those attending may bring lawn chairs and dance to the music. A food booth is available. (562) 806-7650

Parnell Park concert: The city of Whittier’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services conducts a free concert at 7 p.m. at Parnell Park, 15390 Lambert Road, featuring Heartache Tonight, an Eagles tribute band. Pets, barbecues and alcoholic beverages are not allowed. (562) 567-9400

Saturday, July 16

Toxic wastes: The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County conduct the free disposal of hazardous household wastes and electronic wastes not appropriate for regular trash pickup from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in parking lot C at Cerritos College, 11110 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk. Accepted are used motor oil, paint, household cleaners, televisions and stereo sets, computers and printers, small electric appliances and cellular telephones.Not accepted are large appliances, tires, hazardous materials or explosives, ammunition, radioactive materials and weapons. (888) 238-0172

Cancer benefit: A 24-hour Relay for Life fundraiser begins at 9 a.m. in South Gate Park, 4900 Southern Ave. in South Gate to benefit the American Cancer Society. After opening ceremonies, there is a survivor’s lap around a track, followed by an evening luminaria ceremony in which bags of sand with lighted candles are placed around the track in memory of cancer victims. The event is open to the public free of charge to spectators. There is food for purchase, cancer information booths and live entertainment. (800) 227-2345

Items for the Community Calendar may be submitted in care of Wave Newspapers, 3731 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 840, Los Angeles, 90010 or by email to dwanlass@wavepublication.com. Please include a daytime phone number.

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The city of Pico Rivera will host its annual fireworks spectacular at El Rancho High School, 6501 Passons Blvd., beginning at 5 p.m.  July 2.

The event will feature jumpers, food booths and other family-friendly activities, a city spokesperson said.

The evening also features live concerts with the Wise Guys taking the stage at 5 p.m. and Stone Soul beginning at 7 p.m.

A special sky diving demonstration will take place at 7:45 p.m. leading up to the fireworks show at 9 p.m.

Bleacher seating for the fireworks show is available in the football stadium.

Attendees can also bring blankets and lawn chairs for ground level seating, the spokesperson said.

Information: (562) 801-4430.

Norwalk will conduct its Independence Day program from 6 to 9 p.m. July 3 on the north lawn of the Civic Center 12700 Norwalk Blvd.

There will be music, games and food booths, with a fireworks display at 9 p.m., a city spokesperson said.

As part of the annual event, professional hair stylists will give free haircuts from 1 to 8 p.m. to those wishing to donate their hair to make wigs for persons who have lost their hair because of treatment for an illness or other reasons.

Donated hair must be at least 10 inches long and cannot be bleached or highlighted. Colored or permed hair is acceptable and curly hair may be stretched to measure the minimum length, the spokesperson said.

Information: (562) 929-5702.

Santa Fe Springs will conduct its Independence Day program July 3 from 8 to 9 p.m. at Los Nietos Park, 11143 Charlesworth Road.

There will be live entertainment and fireworks. Food and beverages are for sale and craft booths are open from 3 to 9 p.m., a city spokesperson said.

Features include a family games and face painting. Wading pools, a cool zone and a dunk tank will be available. Games include watermelon eating contest, seed spitting contest and a water balloon toss.

The schedule includes a horseshoe tournament at 8:30 a.m., Pinewood Derby contest at 3:30 p.m., a 1980s cover band, Flashpants, at 4 p.m., a patriotic ceremony with color guards at 6:30 p.m., music by the Latin funk band Soto at 7 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m.

Information: (562) 863-4896.

The Alhambra Parks and Recreation Department will conduct an Independence Day program starting at 2 p.m. July 4 at Almansor Park, 800 S. Almansor Ave.

There will be games and activities with food for purchase. Live entertainment begins at 7:30 p.m. with music by the MVPs band, followed by fireworks at 9 p.m., a city spokesperson said.

Information: (626) 570-3242.

Downey will conduct a freedom fireworks festival from 6 to 9 p.m. July 4 at Downey High School Stadium, 11040 Brookshire Ave.

The festival includes live entertainment by the Swing Kings and Roscoe’s Rascals, carnival games, food for purchase and swimming in the high school pool.

Stadium doors open at 5:30 p.m. Attendees may bring blankets and lawn chairs if seating in the stands is unavailable.

Free open swimming is from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on a first-come basis.

Fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

Information: (562) 904-7238.

A private company will conduct a four-day carnival at Salt Lake Park, 3401 E. Florence Ave., Huntington Park, leading up to a fireworks display July 4.

Schoeppner Shows will conduct the carnival July 1-4 and pay the city 20 percent of its proceeds from rides, along with $50 for each booth the company sells to a vendor, said Josette Epinosa, director of parks and recreation.

The carnival will include rides, game booths and food vendors.

Schoeppner will be in charge of the event costs including security and clean up at no cost to the city.

The company will also provide free entertainment and work with city staff to provide local talent to perform, Espinosa said.

Revenue from the carnival will go toward the $25,000 cost of the fireworks display, contracted to a private company earlier this year, she added.

Information: (323) 584-6218.

Lynwood offers a free fireworks show beginning at 9 p.m. July 4 at Lynwood City Park, 11301 Bullis Road.

Information: (310) 603-0220/

Monterey Park will have games, activities and live entertainment from 4 to 9 p.m. July 4 leading up to the fireworks show, a city spokesperson said.

Information: (626) 887-1388.

South Gate will mark the holiday with a carnival and fireworks display July 4 at South Gate Park, 4900 Southern Ave.

A carnival will operate from July 1 through July 4 at the park, off of Tweedy Boulevard and Walnut Avenue, said Parks and Recreation Director Paul Adams.

Hours of operation are 5 to 11 p.m. July 1 and 2 to 11 p.m. July 2, 3 and 4.

There will be carnival rides, midway games and snacks for purchase.

The Junior Athletic Association conducts baseball games on ball diamonds 5 to 10 beginning at 9 a.m., Adams noted.

Information: (323) 563-5479.

Whittier will commemorate Independence Day July 4, with a flag-raising ceremony and freedom walk starting at the Palm Park Greenway Trailhead, 5703 Palm Ave.

The ceremony will begin at 8 a.m., featuring patriotic entertainment and the singing of the national anthem, said Parks, Recreation and Community Services Supervisor Stacey Arismendez.

Immediately following the flag raising, there will be a community freedom walk along the Greenway Trail.  Prior to the walk, there will be a craft booth for children to make fun items, Arismendez said.

Information” (562) 908-3666.

The post Area cities to celebrate Independence Day appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

Wen, a Bellflower resident who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, was looking for something fulfilling to do after finishing college and getting together with friends for a while to run a start-up clothing company. He had heard through fraternity brothers that Faulconer was looking for good, young help.

He applied and helped Faulconer win the election,

Wen, 24, is now the campaign manager for Steve Napolitano’s bid for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ Fourth District seat in the Nov. 8 election.

“I wanted to make a difference,” said Wen about working in politics. “I realized it was something I really loved to do.”

As campaign manager, Wen helped Napolitano finish in second place in the June 7 primary to gain a spot on the November ballot against U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn, D-San Pedro. Napolitano received about 37 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Hahn. A third candidate, Whittier Union school board member Ralph Pacheco, received about 16 percent of the vote.

Wen said he believes in the principles of limited government, lower taxes and fiscal responsibility.

He said he learned to appreciate those values by way of his experience as a Chinese immigrant. He came to the United States with his parents when he was 3.

When his parents divorced while he was in grade school, he learned about low-income living and the hard work that’s needed to move ahead socioeconomically. He later learned when his father, an architect, was dying of cancer, to get serious about schooling and making a career for himself.

“I didn’t want my family experience to dictate my future and how I treat other people,” said Wen, who remembers how proud the family always felt about coming to the U.S. and earning citizenship. “I use it for motivation, to keep going and to pursue the American dream every day.”

Wen has worked on several successful Republican races for the state Assembly and Senate, city councils and local ballot measures.

He has managed hundreds of campaign workers and has always made sure they reflected a mix of races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, ideologies and political parties. He has also brought in independents, veterans and disabled people, the spokesperson said.

“You couldn’t get a better melting pot of people than those I have in my campaign groups — the on-ground teams, volunteers and interns,” Wen said.

Napolitano learned of Wren’s talents and hired him help to run a campaign in the cosmopolitan Fourth District, a crescent-shaped territory that extends from Diamond Bar through Long Beach to Marina del Rey and west to Catalina Island.

Napolitano, who is running to replace Supervisor Don Knabe, who will leave office because of term limits, previously served as mayor and city councilman in Manhattan Beach and currently serves as a senior deputy to Knabe.

Wen and his teams have visited many households around the district. He said he is absolutely convinced that voters, especially undecided ones, value the personal touch and interaction when a campaign makes the extra effort to have a representative go out and knock on doors.

Billboards, mailers and TV commercials can only go so far, he said.

“In my experience, that’s what makes the difference,” said Wen about creating dialogues with residents and working to earn their votes. “Because they’ll remember at the polls that someone tried talking to them, someone wanted to get to know them. And because at a local level of politics such as this, every vote truly does count.”

The post Bellflower man serves as Napolitano campaign manager appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

Voters will be asked to increase Los Angeles County’s sales tax by another half-cent, and continue the existing Measure R half-cent tax indefinitely. MTA officials had originally planned to have the proposed tax hike sunset in 40 years — which would have raised $120 billion — but announced earlier this month that they plan to propose a tax without a sunset date.

The ballot measure still requires approval from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors before it can be placed on the ballot.

The permanent total one-cent sales tax for transit would create a sustained funding source for construction and operation, and would allow the acceleration of nine projects, including a five-year acceleration in planned improvements on the Orange Line, an eight-year acceleration of the northern extension of the Crenshaw/LAX rail line to Hollywood and a five-year acceleration of the Green Line extension to the Norwalk Metrolink station.

The board also approved an amendment that earmarks funding for a bus rapid transit project in the San Fernando Valley.

MTA board chair and County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said that the transportation plan funded by the proposed tax hike and extension would be potentially “transformative” for Los Angeles County.

“It’s about time the county of Los Angeles with respect to mobility steps squarely into the 21st century,” he said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin, who sits on the MTA board, noted a feeling that both riders and other county residents who currently rely on cars are eager for a more complete public transportation system in Los Angeles, and they are willing to pay a higher tax for it.

“Folks have a very palpable hunger for us to do more,” he said. “I’ve sensed they have a lot of faith that we can do that.”

The two board members who voted against the measure — Lakewood City Councilwoman Diane DuBois and County Supervisor Don Knabe — had raised concerns that not enough was being done to ensure all areas of the county are equally represented among the major projects included in the transportation plan.

Most cities in Los Angeles County, including the city of Los Angeles, currently have a nine-cent sales tax.

The post MTA board moves forward with plan for sales-tax hike appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

“We can’t just have moments of silence when we see American lives perish,” Rep. Xavier Becerra said. “It’s time to allow the American people to speak through their representatives and have a vote in Congress on legislation to prevent gun violence.

Becerra issued the call exactly a week after House Democrats held a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives for 26 hours to demand that House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans allow an immediate vote on bipartisan, common-sense gun safety legislation to help keep guns out of dangerous hands.

The bills included the bipartisan King-Thompson legislation to expand and strengthen the background check system and the bipartisan “No Fly, No Buy” bill to keep guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists.

“You will never truly understand the gun violence epidemic until it happens to you,” said Mandy Pifer, the fiancé of Shannon Johnson, who was killed in the San Bernardino shooting last December. “I strongly believe that to ignore the role that guns play in this public health epidemic — homicides, suicides and terrorism — is like throwing away the last piece of a puzzle you’ve been working on for a very long time. It’s frustrating and nonsensical.”

The event was part of a National Day of Action for Common-Sense Gun Violence Prevention. Gun violence prevention advocates held sit-ins and other events throughout the country to demand that Congress act on commonsense gun violence prevention legislation.

Becerra was joined at City Hall by other members of the Southern California congressional delegation, including Reps. Maxine Waters, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Judy Chu, Karen Bass, and Alan Lowenthal; as well as Los Angeles City Councilmen Mitch O’Farrell, Paul Krekorian, Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Curren Price.

“Enough is enough. It is long past time for Congress to make sensible gun control a national priority,“ Roybal-Allard said. “Democrats are ready to vote on bills to strengthen our background check system and keep terrorist suspects from buying guns.

“In the name of my constituents, in the name of the countless American families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence, and in the name of all those who fear that a gun in the wrong hands could harm them or their loved ones, I am calling on House Republican leaders to hold a vote on these bipartisan gun bills,” Roybal-Allard added.

“Americans have had enough of mass shootings and of feeling unsafe because Congress refuses to allow a vote on even the most common sense gun restrictions — like keeping guns away from those on the No Fly List, or expanding background checks, a proposal supported by 92 percent of Americans,” Rep. Chu said.

“The problem of gun violence is more than just mass shootings. It’s a daily plague. Today, with our National Day of Action, we are speaking out as one to say that it is time for Congress to take action to end the senseless gun violence that is tearing apart our communities.”

“It is unfortunate that House Republicans have refused to take up the issue of gun violence through legislative action, particularly after it is clear that it’s what the American people want, “ Rep.Bass said. “It is critical that we continue the protest efforts started last week by House Democrats in our communities across the country to keep the drumbeat going and that is what we are all hoping to accomplish today.”

Earlier in the day, Rep. Becerra convened a roundtable with residents affected by gun violence, including representatives from Women Against Gun Violence, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the Trevor Project, Equality California, Interfaith Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, and the Wall Las Memorias Project.

“I want to thank Rep. Becerra for helping lead the fight against our nation’s gun violence crisis,” said former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of the gun violence prevention organization Americans for Responsible Solutions, who was the victim of an assassination attempt in 2011. “Speaking is difficult for me. But I haven’t been silenced. And neither should the American people. Their representatives must vote to make our communities safer.”

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The event features a concert by L.A.’s Acoustic Generation and speeches by City Councilman Jose Huizar and actor Ed Begley Jr.

Other upcoming events include:

Friday, July 1

Library market: A farmers market is open in the Bruggemeyer Library parking lot, 318 S. Ramona Ave., Monterey Park, from 4 to 8 p.m. It features fresh and organic fruits, vegetables and flowers grown at California farms. Also available are hummus, breads and tamales, raw honey from Energy Bee Farms, peaches from Arnett Farms and a wide selection of Asian vegetables from Vu Produce of Fresno. (626) 307-1388

Dance night: Parnell Park, 15390 Lambert Road, Whittier, hosts Friday night dances from 6 to 10 p.m.Dance professionals Rudy andMaria Hernandez offer lessons on a specific style of dancing from 6 to 7 and then a dance party runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes light refreshments. (562) 567-9450

Saturday, July 2

Downey market: A farmers market offers fresh produce and other items from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Downey Avenue between Second and Third streets in Downey. Parking is available in the city’s parking structure there or on marked spaces on surrounding streets. (562) 904-7284

Tuesday, July 5

Farmers market: The Norwalk Committee on Aging conducts a farmers market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Excelsior High School south parking lot, on the south side of Alondra Boulevard west of Pioneer Boulevard. Fresh fruits, flowers, vegetables and fish are available.

Sports trivia: The summer reading program at the Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway, offers sports trivia games from 3 to 4:30 p.m. for young people between the sixth and 12th grades. Summer reading bookmarks also can be turned in for prizes and weekly drawing entries. (562) 868-0775

Bridge project: Residents of Boyle Heights can receive an update on the progress of the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Art Share LA, 801 E. Fourth Place, Los Angeles. Information is available on demolition, detours and construction timelines. (213) 400-8398

Wednesday, July 6

Fresh produce:The Huntington Park Farmers Market offers fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and other items from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Salt Lake Park, 3401 E. Florence Ave. (323) 584-6218

Anime program: Teens who love anime and Japanese pop culture may join the Teen Otaku Club at the Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway. The club meets from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for young people between the eighth and 12th grades. (562) 868-0775

City Hall concert: The Norwalk Parks and Recreation Department conducts a free concert at 7 p.m. featuring Mariachi Cachanilla on the north lawn of the Civic Center, 12700 Norwalk Blvd. Those attending may bring blankets, lawn chairs and food, but food also is available for purchase. (562) 929-5702

Twilight concert: Downey’s free Twilight Summer Concert series starts at 7 p.m. at Furman Park, 10419 Rives Ave., featuring Smith, the Band, performing country music. Those attending may bring blankets and lawn chairs and food, although Miss Downey and members of the Downey Rose Float Association are selling snacks as a fundraiser. (562) 904-7238

Thursday, July 7

Coloring club: The Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway, conducts a coloring club called Color us Happy from 1 to 2 p.m. Coloring is a no-pressure art form that helps people unwind from a day at the office. Materials are provided. (562) 868-0775

Parnell Park concert: The city of Whittier’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services conducts a free concert at 7 p.m. at Parnell Park, 15390 Lambert Road, featuring Scot Bruce performing early Elvis Presley music. Pets, barbecues and alcoholic beverages are not allowed. (562) 567-9400

Friday, July 8

Rabies clinic: Low-cost vaccinations ($6) are given at a pet clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. on the Norwalk City Hall lawn, 12700 Norwalk Blvd. Microchipping services and flea control products also are available and dog licenses can be renewed. All dogs must be on a leash. (562) 929-5711

Teen art programs: The Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway, offers art programs for young people 3 to 17 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Each week features a new visiting artist who will teach those present something about mosaic tiles, origami, headdresses or something else they can make. (562) 868-0775

Items for the Community Calendar may be submitted in care of Wave Newspapers, 3731 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 840, Los Angeles, 90010 or by email to dwanlass@wavepublication.com. Please include a daytime phone number.

The post COMMUNITY CALENDAR: ‘Rock the Vote’ event planned downtown appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, 57, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson to serve two years of supervised release following prison and pay a $7,500 fine.

The judge set Aug. 1 for Tanaka to surrender to begin serving his time.

The diminutive Tanaka remained stone-faced and stood ramrod straight throughout the hour-long hearing before a tightly packed courtroom, declining an opportunity to speak to the judge.

Before imposing sentence, Anderson blasted the defendant for displaying “arrogance” during previous court appearances and refusing to show remorse for what the judge termed “a gross abuse of public trust.”

“One of the most troubling things is … your efforts to shield dirty deputies have been largely successful,” Anderson told the defendant, noting that despite more than a dozen convictions in related cases, “some among your clique” remain in the department in “positions of authority.”

Tanaka was found guilty in April of felony charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.

“After several trials and tens of convictions of Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials, one thing is abundantly clear: defendant Paul Tanaka is responsible not only for obstructing justice, but also for fostering the culture that led to the significant problems in the Los Angeles County jails,” federal prosecutors wrote in pre-sentencing papers filed with the court.

“While [the] defendant claimed at his and three previous trials that he had only limited involvement in the conspiracy, the evidence showed instead that he was the ringleader from the beginning,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox wrote.

H. Dean Steward asked Anderson to impose a probationary sentence, claiming that his client had spent his career serving the community and had little to do with the conspiracy of which he was convicted.

Tanaka, Steward wrote, was “unjustly taking the fall” for former Sheriff Lee Baca, who pleaded guilty to a federal charge of lying to investigators. In his proposed plea deal, which has yet to be approved by the judge, Baca is calling for a sentence ranging from probation to six months behind bars.

“If there was a ringleader, it was Lee Baca and nobody else,” the defense lawyer told the court, adding that the “disparity” between Baca’s proposed six-month sentence and Tanaka’s five-year term “can only be described as stunning” and “wholly unfair.”

Tanaka, who remains the mayor of Gardena despite his conviction, was the ninth sheriff’s official convicted of criminal conduct based on the circumstances surrounding the hiding of inmate-informer Anthony Brown, a scheme that also involved witness tampering and the threatened arrest of an FBI special agent assigned to the jails investigation.

Steward argued that Baca had “total control” of the Brown operation, leaving Tanaka to participate for two weeks while the sheriff was on vacation in September 2011. During that period, the defense contends, “nothing happened in the case.”

Tanaka’s 60-month prison sentence is the longest stretch of any defendant in the Brown case.

Seven former sheriff’s lieutenants, sergeants and deputies convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice received prison sentences ranging from 18 to 41 months. Their appeal is scheduled to be heard by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena on July 5.

The jury in Tanaka’s case deliberated for less than three hours over two days before reaching a decision.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Tanaka directed co-conspirators in a scheme to derail the 2011 investigation into allegations of excessive force within the jail system.

The case stemmed from events five years ago when a cellphone was discovered in the hands of an inmate at the Men’s Central Jail. Sheriff’s deputies quickly tied the phone to the FBI, which had been conducting a secret probe of brutality against inmates.

At that point, sheriff’s officials “closed ranks” — at the direction of Tanaka, prosecutors said — and began an attempt to halt the formerly covert investigation by concealing inmate-informant Brown from federal prosecutors, who had issued a writ for his grand jury appearance.

The charges included a host of “overt acts” — including witness tampering and threatening an FBI agent with arrest.

Defense attorneys contended that much of the prosecution testimony was motivated by jealousy, delivered by retired sheriff’s officials with grudges against Tanaka.

During two days of testimony, Tanaka denied remembering details of his communications with his now-convicted colleagues.

In their trial brief, government prosecutors maintained that Tanaka “fostered a culture that led to the significant problems in the Los Angeles County jails,” a statement Steward calls “patently ridiculous.”

Tanaka, the attorney countered, was actually “a fearless executive in the department who fought to weed out problem deputies, not encourage them. The  only culture he fostered was excellence and he made daily efforts to accomplish it.”

Last August, Tanaka’s co-defendant, retired sheriff’s Capt. Tom Carey, pleaded guilty to lying on the witness stand during the 2014 trial of former Deputy James Sexton, who was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for trying to impede the jails investigation.

In exchange for his plea and cooperation, Carey, 58, can expect to receive a reduced prison sentence of not more than 16 months when he is sentenced Aug. 1, according to his plea deal.

A law enforcement union responding to Tanaka’s sentencing said that an “era of corruption” within the Sheriff’s Department had come to an end.

“The era of corruption which characterized the upper management in the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department ended with the conviction of former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka,” said George Hofstetter, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. “The department can move forward now that the truth about the failed leadership of disgraced former Sheriff Lee Baca and Undersheriff Paul Tanaka has been revealed through the judicial process.

“The Baca-Tanaka era created leadership failures that left the Sheriff’s Department and ALADS members with real scars from rising assaults on deputies, and emotional scars from diminished morale as deputies struggled to perform a dangerous job under a cloud they didn’t create,” he said. “With today’s sentence, the department is rid of the culture that created the corruption. The men and women who serve proudly as deputy sheriffs shall remain focused on restoring confidence and trust to the public we are sworn to serve.”

ALADS represents more than 8,200 deputy sheriffs and district attorney investigators working in Los Angeles County.

The post Former undersheriff receives five-year prison sentence appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

He would like to see it continue for at least two more generations, but that may be up to the Montebello City Council July 13.

At that time, the council will discuss a request from the Alameda Corridor East (ACE) to drop Maple down and make it an underpass to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks just north of the dairy.

City Councilman Jack Hadjinian, who serves as chair of the Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority (ACE), announced June 20 that he will propose that a pedestrian overcrossing and upgraded crossing safety gates be designed in lieu of a roadway underpass at the Maple Avenue crossing as part of the ACE Montebello Corridor Grade Separation Project.

If approved, it would be great for Broguiere.

Digging up Maple as it passes his store would halt access to his dairy for the 500 customers a day who use the drive-through retail facility, which sells milk, dairy products, bread, eggs and snacks, Broguiere said.

The milk is sold in specially designed glass bottles, which are returnable.

Broguiere fears a proposal to keep the dairy open by building a 300-foot curving driveway to the facility north from Mines Avenue would be too inconvenient for his customers, as would be finding the store should it be relocated to a distant site.

“I have been talking to ACE for 10 to 12 years on the issue,” Broguiere said, noting that he favored an earlier proposal to swap his site for a three-acre site owned by his sister to the south off of Mines.

“But then they said they had changed their minds,” Broguiere said. “A new plan would allow Bimbo Bakeries, which uses the land to the south for parking large trucks, to keep that lot.”

The 96-year-old Broguiere’s Dairy, left, is a drive-through with vehicles entering from Maple Street. Construction of an underpass for the railroad tracks, to the north, would kill the business, the owner says. (Photo by Arnold Adler)

Broguiere and several residential and retail property owners on Maple are not the only ones in that situation. So too are 15 to 20 sites to the east on Montebello Boulevard, south of the railroad tracks.

“ACE will pay the cost, but it’s up to the council to grant permission,” Broguiere said.

The council could approve underpasses at both sites, at one of them or none.

Broguiere said ACE officials have estimated a cost of $46 million for the Maple underpass.

The corridor authority oversees the rail line which carries imported item from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach east from a large depot in Commerce to Pomona.

“They said they don’t have the money for a bridge, which would solve the problem,” he said.

He said customers from the north do not seem to mind a five-to-seven minute wait while a freight train passes. The tracks are also used by Metrolink about twice a day, but the commuter train passes quickly.

“We have worked hard to build this dairy,” said Broguiere, who recalled that it was started in 1920 by his grandfather, Ernest Broguiere, an immigrant from France.

“He came here in 1916 and had a lemon orchard, but found it cost more to ship [the lemons] east on the train then the price he received. He pulled out the trees and brought in the cows.”

The business continued under the late Ray Broguiere Sr., who had up to 150 cows on the site at one time.

“My dad sold the cows in 1975. We buy

He employs about 15, including his son, Chris, and his daughter, Monique. He has three grandchildren and one of them, Danielle Broguiere works part time.

“We have put Montebello in a positive light,” he said, recalling a visit by Huell Howser in 2013 for his KCET television show “California Gold.”

The store operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.

Although the dairy is almost 100 years old, Broguiere is not adverse to using modern means to communicate with customers from as far away as La Mirada and Orange County.

“We have sent out fliers and used social media,” he said. “The response has been positive.”

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The Southeast Cities Relay for Life in Huntington Park and the Norwalk Relay for Life groups conduct their annual 24-hour fundraisers beginning at 9 a.m.

The Huntington Park event is at Salt Lake Park, 3401 Florence Ave.

The Norwalk program is at the Cerritos College utility field, 11110 Alondra Blvd.

After opening ceremonies there is a survivor’s lap around the track for those who have survived cancer, followed by an evening luminaria  ceremony in which bags of sand with lighted candles are placed around the track in memory of a cancer victim.

During the 24-hour period, each team must have at least one member walking or jogging around the track at all times.

Both events are open to the public free of charge to spectators. There is food for purchase, cancer information booths and live entertainment.

Information: Huntington Park Parks and Recreation Department, (323) 384-6218 or city of Norwalk, (562) 929-5700.

Other upcoming events include:

Friday, June 24

Dental screening:Northeast Dental provides seniors with a free basic dental health screening from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Norwalk Senior Citizens Center, 14040 San Antonio Drive. A dental assistant discusses findings with individuals, who can then address issues with their regular dentist. (562) 929-5580

Library market: A farmers market is open in the Bruggemeyer Library parking lot, 318 S. Ramona Ave., Monterey Park, from 4 to 8 p.m. It features fresh and organic fruits, vegetables and flowers grown at California farms. Also available are hummus, breads and tamales, raw honey from Energy Bee Farms, peaches from Arnett Farms and a wide selection of Asian vegetables from Vu Produce of Fresno. (626) 307-1388

Dance night: Parnell Park, 15390 Lambert Road, Whittier, hosts Friday night dances from 6 to 10 p.m.Dance professionals Rudy andMaria Hernandez offer lessons on a specific style of dancing from 6 to 7 and then a dance party runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes light refreshments. (562) 567-9450

Painting night: Area artists gather from 7 to 9 p.m. at Stay Gallery, 11140 Downey Ave., Downey, to display their talents. Cost is $25 and includes a canvas and painting materials. Participants must be at least 18 years old. (562) 774-2056

Saturday, June 25

Downey market: A farmers market offers fresh produce and other items from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Downey Avenue between Second and Third streets in Downey. Parking is available in the city’s parking structure there or on marked spaces on surrounding streets. (562) 904-7284

Sunday, June 26

Fireworks show: County Supervisor Hilda Solis and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation invite residents to a fireworks show, art festival and concert from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the East Los Angeles Civic Center, 4801 E. Third St.

Monday, June 27

Bellflower market: A farmers market operates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Simms Park, 16614 S. Clark Ave., Bellflower. Fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants, breads, sprouts, honey and more are available. (562) 866-7510.

South Gate market: Harbor Area Farmers Markets sponsors a farmers market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Gate Park, Tweedy Boulevard and Walnut Avenue. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, fish, eggs, honey, baked items and gardens plants are available. (323) 774-0159

Dance class:Michael Trusnovec, a principal dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Co., hosts a master class on modern dance for intermediate and advanced dance students from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. (562) 692-0921

Junior golf: Youngsters from 7 to 17 may participate in the Pico Rivera Junior Golf Club at the Pico Rivera Golf Course, 3260 Fairway Drive, from 5 to 6 p.m. Cost is $10 per week or $30 for the month. (562) 692-9933

Park concert: The city of Whittier’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services conducts a free concert at 7 p.m. at Central Park, 6532 Friends Ave., featuring “Woody and the Long Boards, a Beach Boys tribute. Pets, barbecues and alcoholic beverages are not allowed. (562) 567-9400

Tuesday, June 28

Coffee with cops: The South Gate Police Department invites residents to have coffee with a cop from 8 to 10 a.m. at McDonald’s, 3309 Tweedy Blvd. This provides an opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know the officers in the community.

Farmers market: The Norwalk Committee on Aging conducts a farmers market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Excelsior High School south parking lot, on the south side of Alondra Boulevard west of Pioneer Boulevard. Fresh fruits, flowers, vegetables and fish are available.

Library program: Teens can create designs of popular video game characters and sports symbols from fuse beads and make them into magnets, earbud holders or key chains from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway. (562) 868-0775

Cancer benefit: Johnny Reb’s Restaurant, 16639 Bellflower Blvd., Bellflower, hosts a benefit for the local Relay for Life group with 25 percent of all proceeds from 7 to 9 p.m. going to the American Cancer Society.(562) 404-1287

Wednesday, June 29

Fresh produce:The Huntington Park Farmers Market offers fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and other items from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Salt Lake Park, 3401 E. Florence Ave. (323) 584-6218

Thursday, June 30

Children’s conference: The Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse conduct a conference on safeguarding children from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the DoubleTreee Hotel, 13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk. Sponsored by First 5 LA, a nonprofit agency that advocates for children 5 and under, the conference is aimed at social workers or students but is open to the public. Cost is $95, which includes a continental breakfast, lunch and six continuing education credits. (562) 906-2686, ext. 105.

Coloring club: The Norwalk Library, 12350 Imperial Highway, conducts a coloring club called Color us Happy from 1 to 2 p.m. Coloring is a no-pressure art form that helps people unwind from a day at the office. Materials are provided. (562) 868-0775

Paramount concert: The Paramount Parks and Recreation Department conducts a free concert by Beta Maxx, playing hits of the 1980s, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Paramount Park, 14400 Paramount Blvd. (562) 220-2121

Bell Gardens concert: The Parks and Recreation Department of Bell Gardens hosts a free concert at Veterans’ Park, 6662 Loveland St., at 7 p.m. featuring Mariachi Voz de America. Those attending may bring lawn chairs and dance to the music. (562) 806-7650

Whittier concert: The Whittier Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Service conducts a free concert at 7 p.m. at Parnell Park, 15390 Lambert Road, Whittier, featuring Mariachi Divas. Those attending the concerts are reminded that pets, barbecues and alcoholic beverages are not allowed. (562) 567-9400

Friday, July 1

Dance night: The Whittier Parks, Recreation and Community Service Department sponsors a dance night, starting with a social at 6 p.m., followed by dance lessons from Rudy and Maria Hernandez at Parnell Park, 15390 Lambert Road. Featured is disco music from the 1970s and 80s. Light refreshments are also provided. Cost is $10. (562) 567-9450.

Items for the Community Calendar may be submitted in care of Wave Newspapers, 3731 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 840, Los Angeles, 90010 or by email to dwanlass@wavepublication.com. Please include a daytime phone number.

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