The Daily Breeze compiled a list of the top 10 stories of 2008. Gardena made it to the list, regrettably.
The South Bay's Top 10 stories of 2008
By Josh Grossberg, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/27/2008 11:13:49 PM PST
From a marathon presidential election to a faltering economy, 2008 proved to be a year rife with important news. Here is an excerpt. For the rest of the story, go to The Daily Breeze.
FALL FROM GRACE
Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano was arrested March 13 on charges of child molestation, two days after he resigned from the council, citing health reasons.
Prosecutors filed 12 felony counts against the jewelry store owner, arguing that he forced a girl to engage in sexual acts beginning when she was 9 years old until she was 15.
Medrano initially pleaded not guilty, and his attorney argued that the girl made up the allegations.
But on June 27, he pleaded no contest to one count of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a minor and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14.
The 47-year-old was sentenced to eight years in state prison.
Showing posts with label Oscar Medrano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscar Medrano. Show all posts
12/28/2008
11/06/2008
The Don Dear Dynasty, Chapter 4
For those of you who just did an eenie meenie miny moe at the polling place, or are just plain sadistic, I'd like to tell you a story. Sit back and relax in my virtual time machine. There once was a King (aka Don Dear) who ruled as Mayor of Gardenadom. His reign lasted 9 seasons of the locust (i.e. 9 terms). When he departed the city for other villages to pillage (i.e. Carson) he made sure to leave his legacy for us--near Bankruptcy--until our current city manager (okay, I'll call him the Prince in this little story) saved our city.
Now along the way, the King gathered his army. "Men, join my forces. I will promise you great power and riches and casinos with bright lights to eat breakfast at. The lords of the casinos will contribute large sums of money to your political campaigns. Merchants in the village take care of you (wink wink, nod nod). I will show you how to trick the little people into thinking that you care about this city while you're really just thinking of your own personal agendas and lining your pocketbooks." So Steve Bradford, Terry Terauchi and Oscar Medrano followed on the march to Gardenadom's council chambers and ruled according to the King's plans. Eventually the men tired of the King and branched off on their own (with their own spinoff candidates like Shannon Lawrence). While eating breakfast at one of the bright shiny casinos he spied a new candidate--Dan Medina. He had all the right stuff. He didn't finish what he started, claimed to be something he wasn't and lacked the wherewithall to fill the position. "He's PERFECT!" claimed the King...to be continued.
Now along the way, the King gathered his army. "Men, join my forces. I will promise you great power and riches and casinos with bright lights to eat breakfast at. The lords of the casinos will contribute large sums of money to your political campaigns. Merchants in the village take care of you (wink wink, nod nod). I will show you how to trick the little people into thinking that you care about this city while you're really just thinking of your own personal agendas and lining your pocketbooks." So Steve Bradford, Terry Terauchi and Oscar Medrano followed on the march to Gardenadom's council chambers and ruled according to the King's plans. Eventually the men tired of the King and branched off on their own (with their own spinoff candidates like Shannon Lawrence). While eating breakfast at one of the bright shiny casinos he spied a new candidate--Dan Medina. He had all the right stuff. He didn't finish what he started, claimed to be something he wasn't and lacked the wherewithall to fill the position. "He's PERFECT!" claimed the King...to be continued.
3/18/2008
Medrano pleads not guilty to sex charges
COURTS: The former Gardena city councilman is charged with committing lewd acts on a young girl.
By Denise Nix, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/17/2008 11:44:13 PM PDT
Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano pleaded not guilty Monday to 12 charges of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a young girl.
Medrano's attorney, in arguing for a bail reduction, said the allegations against his client came from a "young person he cared for who did not get her way."
Gary Eto said the alleged victim, identified only as a relative, was "lashing out" against the 47-year-old married father of five.
Eto argued to Torrance Superior Court Judge William Beverly that Medrano's close ties to the community - including cousin Ed Medrano, Gardena's police chief - shows he's not a flight risk.
"He's not going anywhere," Eto said. "He doesn't even have a passport." Eto added
Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano listens to arraignment proceedings in Torrance Superior Court on Monday. (Brad Graverson/Staff Photographer )that Medrano's back problems, which have kept Medrano in the county jail's medical ward, would be better treated if he were allowed to remain under house arrest.
But Deputy District Attorney Beatriz Dieringer said the $960,000 bail was standard for the charges. She added that the case was filed "conservatively."
Dieringer noted that Medrano recently made plans to move out of the county by selling his home and business, Osmar Jewelry, in downtown Gardena.
"He does represent a flight risk," Dieringer said.
The judge refused to lower the bail and ordered Medrano to return to court April 1 for a preliminary hearing.
At least a dozen family members and friends somberly watched the short hearing. One
woman appeared to be crying, and she was consoled by others.
Medrano was arrested Thursday, two days after he resigned his post on the council. Medrano, who had been in office five years, said pain from his medical condition forced him to leave during his second term.
In charges filed Friday, he is accused of forcing the female relative to engage in sexual acts beginning when she was 9 years old. The alleged abuse began in 1999 and continued for seven years.
He is charged with eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old.
If convicted, he faces 34 years in prison, Dieringer said.
A source close to the accuser has told the Daily Breeze that Medrano began by touching the girl, but escalated the acts to sex when she was 10. The source said he molested her weekly and that she tried to report him, but nobody believed her.
The family has declined to comment on the telephone and outside of court Monday.
However, Medrano's wife has alluded to the case on her MySpace page.
On Sunday, Patrice Medrano wrote: "I have been through the worst situations in my life, but when it comes to your children and being helpless, my heart aches.
"I have seen others face challenges in their lives with having their children taken away, now I face that challenge," she wrote. "I have always been here for my family to help encourage and uplift in any way I can.
"But never have I been under attack such as now," she writes on the page, which is full of biblical quotes and references to God.
By Denise Nix, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/17/2008 11:44:13 PM PDT
Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano pleaded not guilty Monday to 12 charges of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a young girl.
Medrano's attorney, in arguing for a bail reduction, said the allegations against his client came from a "young person he cared for who did not get her way."
Gary Eto said the alleged victim, identified only as a relative, was "lashing out" against the 47-year-old married father of five.
Eto argued to Torrance Superior Court Judge William Beverly that Medrano's close ties to the community - including cousin Ed Medrano, Gardena's police chief - shows he's not a flight risk.
"He's not going anywhere," Eto said. "He doesn't even have a passport." Eto added
Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano listens to arraignment proceedings in Torrance Superior Court on Monday. (Brad Graverson/Staff Photographer )that Medrano's back problems, which have kept Medrano in the county jail's medical ward, would be better treated if he were allowed to remain under house arrest.
But Deputy District Attorney Beatriz Dieringer said the $960,000 bail was standard for the charges. She added that the case was filed "conservatively."
Dieringer noted that Medrano recently made plans to move out of the county by selling his home and business, Osmar Jewelry, in downtown Gardena.
"He does represent a flight risk," Dieringer said.
The judge refused to lower the bail and ordered Medrano to return to court April 1 for a preliminary hearing.
At least a dozen family members and friends somberly watched the short hearing. One
woman appeared to be crying, and she was consoled by others.
Medrano was arrested Thursday, two days after he resigned his post on the council. Medrano, who had been in office five years, said pain from his medical condition forced him to leave during his second term.
In charges filed Friday, he is accused of forcing the female relative to engage in sexual acts beginning when she was 9 years old. The alleged abuse began in 1999 and continued for seven years.
He is charged with eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old.
If convicted, he faces 34 years in prison, Dieringer said.
A source close to the accuser has told the Daily Breeze that Medrano began by touching the girl, but escalated the acts to sex when she was 10. The source said he molested her weekly and that she tried to report him, but nobody believed her.
The family has declined to comment on the telephone and outside of court Monday.
However, Medrano's wife has alluded to the case on her MySpace page.
On Sunday, Patrice Medrano wrote: "I have been through the worst situations in my life, but when it comes to your children and being helpless, my heart aches.
"I have seen others face challenges in their lives with having their children taken away, now I face that challenge," she wrote. "I have always been here for my family to help encourage and uplift in any way I can.
"But never have I been under attack such as now," she writes on the page, which is full of biblical quotes and references to God.
3/16/2008
12 felony counts filed against Medrano
By Larry Altman Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/15/2008 12:25:20 AM PDT
Article Launched: 03/15/2008 12:25:20 AM PDT
Prosecutors on Friday filed 12 felony counts against former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano, charging he sexually abused a relative from the time she was in elementary school to high school.
For years, Medrano forced the girl to engage in sexual acts, it is alleged. It began with touching when she was about 8 years old, but escalated to sexual activity when she was 10, a source told the Daily Breeze.
"He manipulated her, and told her she wasn't good for anything else but sex - that nobody would ever love her, and therefore, he kept abusing her," said the source, who is familiar with the victim.
The alleged crimes occurred almost weekly, sometimes in the shower and in a motel, the source said.
Medrano, 47, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Torrance courthouse. He remained in jail Friday after his bail was raised to $960,000.
Medrano faces eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old. The last count relates to an incident that allegedly occurred when she was 15 years old. The first nine counts also allege that the acts committed were of substantial sexual conduct, prosecutors said.
If convicted, Medrano could face 32 years in prison, and would be required to register as a sex offender upon his release, Deputy District Attorney Beatriz Dieringer said.
Sheriff's Department investigators have not released details of the abuse and declined to comment for this article.
Sheriff's Department investigators have not released details of the abuse and declined to comment for this article.
The Daily Breeze knows the girl's name, her relationship to Medrano, and specifics about the alleged abuse, but is omitting information that can identify her.
In an interview, a source said the victim had tried for years to get someone to believe that Medrano sexually assaulted her.
Nobody listened until recently.
As late as a few months ago, the victim believed no one would trust her story because Medrano's cousin is Gardena Police Chief Ed Medrano and would take his side, the source said.
Detectives at the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau stepped in when someone reported the case to a police officer.
Medrano abruptly resigned from the Gardena City Council on Tuesday night, citing a bad back that made it difficult to sit or work. He was arrested two days later at his family's jewelry store in downtown Gardena.
Gardena Councilman Oscar Medrano resigns
By Sandy Mazza Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 01:27:47 AM PDT
Oscar Medrano has resigned from the Gardena City Council, citing health issues that have restricted his ability to work.
Medrano, who was elected in March 2007 for his second four-year term, has been absent from most council meetings since July, when back surgery limited his movement and left him in severe pain.
He did not attend Tuesday's meeting, instead announcing his resignation in a letter to the council.
"Due to the ongoing, unpredictable health problems that I'm experiencing, it has become very apparent to me that I am no longer able to serve in my current council member capacity," Medrano wrote.
Medrano, 47, has struggled with degenerative disc disease for three years.
In 2005, halfway through his first term, Medrano underwent back surgery to replace three degenerated vertebrae in his lower back. Four months later, the implants disintegrated and Medrano had to wear special shoes and a back brace. Last year, he had spinal fusion surgery to stabilize his lower spine. The surgery was successful, but Medrano said it left him in constant, severe pain.
He took morphine and other sedatives to dull the pain, but the medicine made him groggy, and he found it difficult to work.
"I still have trouble sitting too long and standing too long," Medrano said. "When I lie down, it's a constant pain. I've been trying not to go back on narcotics. I'll have to live with this the rest of my life. I've gotten closer to my maker, you could say."
At Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Steve Bradford said he is disappointed that Medrano was forced to resign.
"He brought a very homespun, common-sense approach," Bradford said. "His service will be truly missed. But the most important thing is his health and the challenges he faces with his back."
State law dictates that the City Council must decide how to replace Medrano by April 9. The council can either appoint a successor, or hold a special election for voters to decide. If the council appoints someone, that person would serve until the March 2009 election. If the voters decide, the replacement will serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
Medrano has managed his family's business, Osmar Jewelry in downtown Gardena, since 1992. He said he plans to sell the business because he can no longer work.
He recently bought a home in Romoland, which is near Sun City in Riverside County, where he will move with his wife and two youngest children. He has five children.
Before he managed the family business, Medrano worked as an X-ray technician until 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he served in the Army.
"I never thought I would leave Gardena," said Medrano, whose family moved to the city from New York in 1964. "It's too expensive. (In Romoland) I won't spend as much money. Land and housing is cheaper."
On the dais, Medrano has been a proponent for small-business owners in the city. He said he is most proud of being on the council when the city's $26 million debt was resolved in 2006 with a payment plan that has allowed the city to generate a budget surplus.
He said he is also proud that he voted to approve the first new General Plan in the city in 30 years. The plan, adopted in April 2006, lays out a vision to bring more commercial business to the city, and to add mixed-use development along the city's major arteries.
City Manager Mitch Lansdell said Medrano will be difficult to replace.
"Councilman Medrano was a local businessman. He was in the community for a long time," Lansdell said. "He certainly brought to the council a businessman's perspective. That perspective is going to be difficult to replace because, if we look back, the City Council has not had a lot of local business owners."
But Medrano also has faced controversy during his tenure.
In 2003, he was criticized for backing the city's efforts to form a Redevelopment Agency after he had campaigned against such a move.
More recently, he was accused of holding secret meetings with the city's residential and commercial trash haulers in January 2007.
According to the commercial hauler, Waste Resources of Gardena, Medrano solicited illegal campaign contributions. Medrano said the accusations are untrue.
"I'm a Christian; I don't do those things," Medrano said. "It was more humiliation for my family. My kids don't want to hear bad things about their father in school."
Though his time on the council has been bittersweet, Medrano said he is sad to leave.
"I'm going to miss everybody. They've become my second family - employees, city staff," Medrano said. "I really want to thank the people of Gardena for putting their trust in me and electing me."
WHAT'S NEXT
State law dictates that the City Council must decide by April 9 how to replace Oscar Medrano. The council can appoint a successor who would serve until the March 2009 election, or hold a special election for voters to decide, and the replacement would serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 01:27:47 AM PDT
Oscar Medrano has resigned from the Gardena City Council, citing health issues that have restricted his ability to work.
Medrano, who was elected in March 2007 for his second four-year term, has been absent from most council meetings since July, when back surgery limited his movement and left him in severe pain.
He did not attend Tuesday's meeting, instead announcing his resignation in a letter to the council.
"Due to the ongoing, unpredictable health problems that I'm experiencing, it has become very apparent to me that I am no longer able to serve in my current council member capacity," Medrano wrote.
Medrano, 47, has struggled with degenerative disc disease for three years.
In 2005, halfway through his first term, Medrano underwent back surgery to replace three degenerated vertebrae in his lower back. Four months later, the implants disintegrated and Medrano had to wear special shoes and a back brace. Last year, he had spinal fusion surgery to stabilize his lower spine. The surgery was successful, but Medrano said it left him in constant, severe pain.
He took morphine and other sedatives to dull the pain, but the medicine made him groggy, and he found it difficult to work.
"I still have trouble sitting too long and standing too long," Medrano said. "When I lie down, it's a constant pain. I've been trying not to go back on narcotics. I'll have to live with this the rest of my life. I've gotten closer to my maker, you could say."
At Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Steve Bradford said he is disappointed that Medrano was forced to resign.
"He brought a very homespun, common-sense approach," Bradford said. "His service will be truly missed. But the most important thing is his health and the challenges he faces with his back."
State law dictates that the City Council must decide how to replace Medrano by April 9. The council can either appoint a successor, or hold a special election for voters to decide. If the council appoints someone, that person would serve until the March 2009 election. If the voters decide, the replacement will serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
Medrano has managed his family's business, Osmar Jewelry in downtown Gardena, since 1992. He said he plans to sell the business because he can no longer work.
He recently bought a home in Romoland, which is near Sun City in Riverside County, where he will move with his wife and two youngest children. He has five children.
Before he managed the family business, Medrano worked as an X-ray technician until 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he served in the Army.
"I never thought I would leave Gardena," said Medrano, whose family moved to the city from New York in 1964. "It's too expensive. (In Romoland) I won't spend as much money. Land and housing is cheaper."
On the dais, Medrano has been a proponent for small-business owners in the city. He said he is most proud of being on the council when the city's $26 million debt was resolved in 2006 with a payment plan that has allowed the city to generate a budget surplus.
He said he is also proud that he voted to approve the first new General Plan in the city in 30 years. The plan, adopted in April 2006, lays out a vision to bring more commercial business to the city, and to add mixed-use development along the city's major arteries.
City Manager Mitch Lansdell said Medrano will be difficult to replace.
"Councilman Medrano was a local businessman. He was in the community for a long time," Lansdell said. "He certainly brought to the council a businessman's perspective. That perspective is going to be difficult to replace because, if we look back, the City Council has not had a lot of local business owners."
But Medrano also has faced controversy during his tenure.
In 2003, he was criticized for backing the city's efforts to form a Redevelopment Agency after he had campaigned against such a move.
More recently, he was accused of holding secret meetings with the city's residential and commercial trash haulers in January 2007.
According to the commercial hauler, Waste Resources of Gardena, Medrano solicited illegal campaign contributions. Medrano said the accusations are untrue.
"I'm a Christian; I don't do those things," Medrano said. "It was more humiliation for my family. My kids don't want to hear bad things about their father in school."
Though his time on the council has been bittersweet, Medrano said he is sad to leave.
"I'm going to miss everybody. They've become my second family - employees, city staff," Medrano said. "I really want to thank the people of Gardena for putting their trust in me and electing me."
WHAT'S NEXT
State law dictates that the City Council must decide by April 9 how to replace Oscar Medrano. The council can appoint a successor who would serve until the March 2009 election, or hold a special election for voters to decide, and the replacement would serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
7/17/2007
Trash hauler alleges illegal political solicitations in Gardena
Interference is alleged in lawsuit that includes charges that councilman sought illegal donations.
Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano solicited campaign contributions from the city's commercial trash hauler, in apparent violation of city law, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
The suit also alleges that Medrano wanted his campaign fliers to be included in city trash bills, which would also be illegal.
The allegations arise from a deepening dispute between Gardena's two rival haulers.
Click here to read Daily Breeze article By Gene Maddaus Staff Writer (from The Daily Breeze 07/17/07)
Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano solicited campaign contributions from the city's commercial trash hauler, in apparent violation of city law, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
The suit also alleges that Medrano wanted his campaign fliers to be included in city trash bills, which would also be illegal.
The allegations arise from a deepening dispute between Gardena's two rival haulers.
Click here to read Daily Breeze article By Gene Maddaus Staff Writer (from The Daily Breeze 07/17/07)
7/16/2007
Waste Resources of Gardena Files Lawsuit to Stop Illegal Interference of Waste Hauling Contract in the City of Gardena
LOS ANGELES, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Waste Resources of Gardena ("WRG") filed a lawsuit today seeking to protect its rights against unlawful interference with its contract and unfair competition in connection with WRG's commercial waste hauling contract with the City of Gardena. The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California in Los Angeles County against Phoenix Waste & Recycling Services ("Phoenix") and its associates, Haig Papaian and Rouben Kandilian, waste haulers who hold the residential waste hauling contract with Gardena. Haig Papaian and Rouben Kandilian, on behalf of Phoenix, made numerous false statements about WRG's performance in order to cause the City to seek an early termination of the commercial waste hauling contract. Further, Haig Papaian and Rouben Kandilian, using improper relationships with City of Gardena officials, sought to force WRG into giving up its substantive rights, and ultimately, to seek an early termination of the WRG's commercial waste hauling contract. WRG is operated by Kosti Shirvanian, who has over 50 years in the waste management business. Until Phoenix's attempts to interfere with its contract, WRG's performance of its commercial waste hauling contract received strong reviews from City of Gardena officials. After Phoenix began to make false statements about WRG's capabilities, WRG began receiving critical reviews of its performance. Further, Phoenix began to use City of Gardena Councilmembers, including Councilmember Oscar Medrano, to force WRG to give up portions of its contract for the benefit of Phoenix. WRG was threatened with retaliatory action if WRG did not comply with Phoenix's demands. Phoenix ultimately caused the issuance of a five year notice of termination against WRG, which would cause WRG to lose substantially all of the investment that WRG made into providing waste hauling services for Phoenix. WRG is represented by Robert Bonner and Maurice M. Suh, lawyers with the international law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. "Spreading misstatements about WRG's performance under the contract and using City of Gardena officials to extract concessions from WRG is simply wrong," said Maurice Suh, who represents WRG. "Waste hauling contracts are of critical importance to the proper functioning of the City of Gardena, and those contracts should be awarded based upon performance and experience, not upon misstatements and political favoritism." "My career has been about providing cost-effective trash hauling services in an efficient and consumer-friendly manner. I have tried to resolve this matter with City officials, I feel like I have been given no choice except to file this lawsuit," said Kosti Shirvanian. SOURCE Waste Resources of Gardena -0- 07/16/2007 /CONTACT: Pearl Piatt of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, +1-213-299-7963, for Waste Resources of Gardena/ CO: Waste Resources of Gardena; WRG; City of Gardena; Phoenix Waste & Recycling Services; Phoenix; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher ST: California IN: ENV CHM SU: LAW SS-AB -- LAM145 -- 1895 07/16/2007 16:33 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Click here to read article
Click here to read article
6/17/2007
Tanaka says he told Medrano not to talk to haulers
From an article in The Daily Breezee 03/15/07
Daily Breeze - Torrance, Calif.
Author: Gene Maddaus STAFF WRITER
Date: Mar 15, 2007
Text Word Count: 593
Abstract (Document Summary)
Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka said he warned Councilman Oscar Medrano not to meet privately with two trash haulers in January, marking the first time Tanaka has expressed any disapproval of the meeting.
Tanaka was also critical of Daily Breeze coverage of the issue, which he said made Medrano look like "some kind of buffoon and a crook." Tanaka also strenuously objected to being linked to the trash situation, saying it made him look bad in the community.
A week before Medrano met with the haulers, Tanaka removed the termination notice from the council's agenda, without explanation. Had Tanaka allowed discussion to proceed that night, Medrano would have had no leverage with which to negotiate the following week.
Daily Breeze - Torrance, Calif.
Author: Gene Maddaus STAFF WRITER
Date: Mar 15, 2007
Text Word Count: 593
Abstract (Document Summary)
Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka said he warned Councilman Oscar Medrano not to meet privately with two trash haulers in January, marking the first time Tanaka has expressed any disapproval of the meeting.
Tanaka was also critical of Daily Breeze coverage of the issue, which he said made Medrano look like "some kind of buffoon and a crook." Tanaka also strenuously objected to being linked to the trash situation, saying it made him look bad in the community.
A week before Medrano met with the haulers, Tanaka removed the termination notice from the council's agenda, without explanation. Had Tanaka allowed discussion to proceed that night, Medrano would have had no leverage with which to negotiate the following week.
Trash hauler: City reneged on deal
From an article in The Daily Breeze, 02/05/07:
Daily Breeze - Torrance, Calif.
Author: Gene Maddaus STAFF WRITER
Date: Feb 5, 2007
Abstract (Document Summary)
When first asked about it, [Oscar Medrano] said he did not remember who called the meeting. Later, he said it was held at [Kosti Shirvanian]'s insistence. He also said that he agreed to attend as a "mediator" between the two haulers. But according to Shirvanian, Medrano called the meeting and was hardly impartial.
Once the deal was arranged, Medrano called Councilman Steve Bradford, and Bradford came to the meeting, according to Shirvanian. Medrano explained the deal to Bradford, and Bradford agreed to pull the termination notice off the upcoming council agenda, Shirvanian said.
To Shirvanian, the real reason for the notice was given by Medrano at a meeting at City Hall on Jan. 16. Shirvanian planned to meet only with [Mitch Lansdell] and his staff, but Medrano sat in. Shirvanian said that Lansdell discussed the complaints and other service issues, but Medrano wanted to talk about Papaian, who was losing $30,000 per month on the residential contract.
Daily Breeze - Torrance, Calif.
Author: Gene Maddaus STAFF WRITER
Date: Feb 5, 2007
Abstract (Document Summary)
When first asked about it, [Oscar Medrano] said he did not remember who called the meeting. Later, he said it was held at [Kosti Shirvanian]'s insistence. He also said that he agreed to attend as a "mediator" between the two haulers. But according to Shirvanian, Medrano called the meeting and was hardly impartial.
Once the deal was arranged, Medrano called Councilman Steve Bradford, and Bradford came to the meeting, according to Shirvanian. Medrano explained the deal to Bradford, and Bradford agreed to pull the termination notice off the upcoming council agenda, Shirvanian said.
To Shirvanian, the real reason for the notice was given by Medrano at a meeting at City Hall on Jan. 16. Shirvanian planned to meet only with [Mitch Lansdell] and his staff, but Medrano sat in. Shirvanian said that Lansdell discussed the complaints and other service issues, but Medrano wanted to talk about Papaian, who was losing $30,000 per month on the residential contract.
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