Councilman Parking

We know where he parks his car but do we know if he lives in Gardena?

Head-swatting case still high (melo)drama

Former Carson councilwoman returns to court after breaking 9-foot restraining order.´ No. 1 HitBy Gene MaddausStaff Writer

Eight months after Carson became a national laughingstock when Vera Dewitt swatted Jan Schaefer in the head with a sheaf of papers, Schaefer's shriek of agony is still echoing in the courts.

Who could forget the moment, immortalized on YouTube, when the former councilwoman whacked the city commissioner during a February council meeting? Schaefer hesitated before screaming and rolling on the floor, offering instant talk-show fodder and an unintentional summation of all that is childish in Carson politics...

Read the entire article from The Daily Breeze that hit the newsstand today.

See the video link above on You Tube (No. 1 Hit-first line of this posting) and a direct link above this article of Parody Video by teenager.

Lowering the Bar

Anonymous said...
Yeah, no kidding. There are 3 stumps right in front of Smart N Final on Redondo Beach Blvd. I don't know how long they've been sitting there like that. What pisses me off is that the city tries to look good by bringing in these stores and then they don't keep up the maintenance. No wonder most people like to shop in Torrance (me included). But look at the choices we have--all low-income clientele business. The 99 Cent store and more drug stores you can shake a stick at.

Can't we aim higher than this? And as far as the 99 Cent Store, it's fallen into shambles. I've been hoping for a Trader Joe's in this city but I know they respond to a higher standard than what Gardena has to offer. And what happened to the Senior Housing Project that was approved by the City Planning Commission? Shot down, of course, by the city "leaders." Not in their best interest," obviously. Now there are condos going up on Artesia.

Shame, shame, shame on our city leaders. The only thing they're interested in is what they can reap for their own agendas and most likely their own pockets.Thanks Gardena Watch. This is a Godsend for people who feel so frustrated. We want better for ourselves and this city.

Comments posted anonymously or cited on Gardena Watch are the express opinions of those individuals and not the opinion of Gardena Watch.

Response to City Planning

Anonymous said...

What's up with the City? Do they know what they're doin'?The picture looks like this new structure is out of place. I hope the final product blends in with the neighborhood. I've seen more ugly colored buildings every year. Dark blue on Normandie, Orange on Marine, ugly gold houses. There are some ugly signage and fences too.A neighbor was so frustrated when he wanted to take a pool out. When getting the demo permit he was told one thing. When the inspector came out he was told another thing. When another inspector came out again he was told yet another thing. The city can't even get a routine thing like demoing a pool straight forward for the public.I tried telling the city, no one listens. Thanks for making this GardenaWatch blog.I want to hear from other folks so write in.

Comments posted anonymously or cited on Gardena Watch are the express opinions of those individuals and not the opinion of Gardena Watch.

October 18, 2007 6:34 AM

Dear Me

Bradford's real home address has been the topic of conversation for some time. Maybe someone in Carson can tell us what's really going on because Gardena City Council is obviously operating under a code of silence.

Ex-Mayor Dear, can you help us out? Since we think your brother lives in Carson, would you mind asking him and get back to us?

Comments posted anonymously or cited on Gardena Watch are the express opinions of those individuals and not the opinion of Gardena Watch.

No Answer

Anonymous said...
There's many more just like this. I emailed the city before on a street request for repair, never happened, never even got a answer.
October 14, 2007 11:43 PM

Comments posted anonymously or cited on Gardena Watch are the express opinions of those individuals and not the opinion of Gardena Watch.

Yesterday and Today

Above: Gardena railway depot in the early 1900s; Below: Gardena Boulevard Today (2007).

Architectural Potpourri

Gardena Valley Baptist Church, as seen today

Construction at Gardena Valley Baptist Church is moving along nicely. Unfortunately it's another architectural hodgepodge in our city that makes the words city planning sound like an oxymoron. The church, with it's A-Frame style, surrounded by stone, is now dwarfed by this imposing, heavy, boxy addition. Is architectural integrity too much to ask for in this city?

Deal or No Deal?

Anonymous said...
I’m not so concerned about Landsdell working a trash deal in Los Alamitos Were those comments posted by a disgruntled city employee or Gardena city official? Who knows. If Landsdell leaves we‘re still stuck with our city council. Talk about making deals. Look at all the stuff that's gone on with Waste Resources and Phoenix Waste in Gardena. Gardena citizens many not be very vocal but they’re not naïve.

Comments posted anonymously or cited on Gardena Watch are the express opinions of those individuals and not the opinion of Gardena Watch.

City Manager Moving?

Anonymous said...
Mitch Landsdell is trying to make a move behind the scenes to leave Gardena and move to the City of Los Alamitos as it's new City Manager, post firing of their former City Manager. The rumor is that he is trying to work a deal into Los Alamitos so a new trash company can be brought in...maybe Landsdell has more $$$$ through the trash men than we all know!Landsdell is working with the Los Alamitos City Council majority, led by Egomaniacal Councilman Troy Edgar to make his move into Los Alamitos...check it out.
October 7, 2007 9:51 AM

Comments posted anonymously or cited on Gardena Watch are the express opinions of those individuals and not the opinion of Gardena Watch.

Citizens Stumped by Cutting Down of City Trees

The Public Works Department of Gardena has been cutting down trees in our city. The problem is--the trees are not being replaced. The one pictured on the left, at 15829 Dalton, near Marukai Market, an inside source tells the editor, has allegedly been cut down and covered by a barricade for over a year. Not only is the wooden barricade a hazard for pedestrians, it's an eyesore and diminshes the quality of life in our city.

Home Sweet Home--Gardena?

Anonymous said...

Is Steven Bradford still on your council? You should check his address. . .he lives in Carson. Maybe that's why the Gardena council doesn't care how things look. Isn't living there a requirement to hold office?
October 6, 2007 6:02 PM

Comments posted anonymously or cited on Gardena Watch are the express opinions of those individuals and not the opinion of Gardena Watch.

City Planning

Who approved this monstrosity? This overblown, modern structure is being built behind the 1920s house in the front. On an R-3 lot, one has to wonder how this got approved. The Planning Commission didn't even know about it. It's supposedly a one family unit.

Fri 5 Oct 2007
Sheriff’s Department’s Arrest Contests to be Investigated
Posted by admin under County of LA , Crime
http://westranchbeacon.com/blog/2007/10/05/sheriffs-departments-arrest-contests-to-be-investigated/
The Los Angeles County public defender’s office on Thursday launched an investigation into arrests made two months ago by sheriff’s deputies participating in a five-city competition to book as many suspects as possible during a 24-hour period reports the Los Angeles Times.
Public Defender Michael P. Judge said his office would review all the arrests made Aug. 15 — the day of one of the competitions — and challenge the merits of the cases in court.
“Our contention is that the activities of the deputies may not have been prompted by what they saw but rather by the pressure of producing greater arrest numbers for the competition,” Judge said.
The competition in question was dubbed “Operation Any Booking” and was initiated by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant who said he wanted to increase the productivity and boost the morale of some deputies in the Lakewood station, which serves the southeast Los Angeles County cities of Lakewood, Bellflower, Paramount, Artesia and Hawaiian Gardens.
The deputies making the most arrests in those cities won “bragging rights,” Lt. James Tatreau told The Times earlier this week.
Tatreau said he helped organize that and other monthly competitions, including a contest to see how many vehicles deputies could impound in a single night, as well as how many “field interviews” of gang members and other suspected criminals deputies could conduct during a 24-hour period.
Sheriff Lee Baca called for an end to the competitions after learning about them from Times reporters Wednesday. A spokesman for Baca said Thursday that the sheriff was not concerned about the public defender’s inquiry.
Read it here: Sheriff’s Arrest Contest

Operation Any Booking

LA Sheriff's "Operation Any Booking" Competititon - Brilliant
Yellowworld Forums - http://forums.yellowworld.org


Sheriff's Department's arrest contests to be investigated
Public defender's office plans challenges to cases stemming from a contest Aug. 15 at the Lakewood station geared to boost deputies' productivity.By Matt Lait and Scott GloverLos Angeles Times Staff WritersOctober 5, 2007The Los Angeles County public defender's office on Thursday launched an investigation into arrests made two months ago by sheriff's deputies participating in a five-city competition to book as many suspects as possible during a 24-hour period.Public Defender Michael P. Judge said his office would review all the arrests made Aug. 15 -- the day of one of the competitions -- and challenge the merits of the cases in court."Our contention is that the activities of the deputies may not have been prompted by what they saw but rather by the pressure of producing greater arrest numbers for the competition," Judge said.The competition in question was dubbed "Operation Any Booking" and was initiated by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department lieutenant who said he wanted to increase the productivity and boost the morale of some deputies in the Lakewood station, which serves the southeast Los Angeles County cities of Lakewood, Bellflower, Paramount, Artesia and Hawaiian Gardens.The deputies making the most arrests in those cities won "bragging rights," Lt. James Tatreau told The Times earlier this week. Tatreau said he helped organize that and other monthly competitions, including a contest to see how many vehicles deputies could impound in a single night, as well as how many "field interviews" of gang members and other suspected criminals deputies could conduct during a 24-hour period.Sheriff Lee Baca called for an end to the competitions after learning about them from Times reporters Wednesday. A spokesman for Baca said Thursday that the sheriff was not concerned about the public defender's inquiry."The sheriff has never been shy about having anybody review anything," Steve Whitmore said. "These are good, solid arrests."According to statistics produced by the Sheriff's Department as part of a public records request, there were 28 arrests on the night of Operation Any Booking. That figure matched the average number of arrests made throughout the month.However, department officials acknowledged that the other contests regarding vehicle impounds and field interviews resulted in dramatic increases in those activities. For example, the five cities in which deputies ordered vehicles impounded had 37 vehicles towed during the day of the competition, compared to an average daily total of 4.7 vehicles.Judge said that even though the statistics did not show an increase in the arrest numbers during the competition, that did not necessarily mean the figures weren't inflated. "It could have been a really slow night," Judge said.Judge said he did not know how many of the cases from Aug. 15 were still pending or how many involved clients of the public defender's office. "That's what we're trying to ascertain," he said. If there still are active cases, Judge said he believed the revelations of the contest would be "ripe material for cross-examination" of the arresting deputies. Loyola law professor Laurie Levenson said she was not surprised Judge had launched an investigation."The sheriff basically handed him this opportunity," she said.But Levenson said she thought the public defender would be fighting an uphill battle to have any cases overturned absent solid evidence that the deputies had done something wrong."Officers can have all the wrong motives, but they're still legal stops as long as there were objective facts to support reasonable suspicion or probable cause," said Levenson, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.She said Judge and his colleagues could also try to argue that they would have been better able to defend their clients had they known about the contests and used them to challenge officers' credibility in court.Getting information out of the Sheriff's Department absent a court order may also be a problem, Levenson predicted."It's not easy to get somebody to go back and reopen an investigation," she said.The story about the contest, published Wednesday and also posted on http://www.latimes.com/ generated more than 200 e-mails from around Southern California and across the country. Many people condemned the contests and the Sheriff's Department. But many others supported the competitions and praised Tatreau by name, some saying that he should be promoted for his innovative approach to policing.

Deputy is allowed to pursue his bias suit

The member of the Regulators claims he was transferred from a station because he is Latino.

By Stuart Pfeifer, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer September 22, 2007

A sheriff's deputy can move forward with a lawsuit that alleges the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department unfairly transferred him out of its Century station because he is Latino, a judge ruled Friday.

Deputy Angel Jaimes alleges that African American supervising officers transferred him in 2004 to rid the Century station of experienced Latinos who were admired by other deputies.

The lawsuit has brought attention to a group of deputies in the Century station -- Jaimes among them -- who got matching tattoos and called themselves the Regulators. A series of anonymous letters, purportedly written by fellow deputies, claimed that Jaimes and other Regulators intimidated those who were not part of their clique, extorted money from them and had undue influence over the running of the Century station.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Terry A. Green ruled that the case can proceed to trial, despite sheriff's officials' claims that the transfer was related to defamatory statements the deputy made to a supervisor, not to ethnicity.

Green said he based the decision in part on a lieutenant's testimony that Cmdr. Willie Miller and division Chief Ronnie Williams told her the Century station was "was run by Mexicans and they were going to change that."

Jaimes has alleged in the lawsuit that supervisors, including Sgt. Arthur Scott, openly referred to him and other Latino deputies at the Century station as the Mexican Mafia, the name of a prison gang linked to violent crimes throughout the country.

Jaimes confronted Scott in a meeting at the Lynwood station and used profanity while criticizing the sergeant's management style and for failing to apologize for using the Mexican Mafia term. The department later suspended Jaimes for 25 days for those comments and transferred him from Century to the department's Transit Services Bureau.

Jaimes' lawsuit seeks to overturn the transfer and suspension and seeks monetary damages. Green said allegations that the department was motivated to transfer Latino deputies out of the Century station was enough to allow the case to go to trial.

Gardena, All-America City

Welcome to Gardena, the one-time "All America" city. Once home to manicured Japanese gardens and clean streets is now transformed to inner city squalor. The photograph you see was taken at the U.S. Post Office, Main Branch, on Redondo Beach Boulevard on September 22, 2007.

On September 15, 2007 the city of Gardena held their 8th Annual "Keep Gardena Beautiful Day." The flier, still on the city website, advertises that "volunteers will gather to clean up city parks, right of ways and neighborhoods" (link to web site)

I can't blame the volunteers--there is far too much to do in this city. As far as the City of Gardena City Council and committees, I wonder if they're paying attention.

Hawthorne councilman indicted in conflict case

By Ari B. Bloomekatz, Times Staff WriterJuly 27, 2007
Hawthorne City Councilman Ludwig "Louis" Velez was indicted this week on charges that he used his elected position to trade favors with a developer.Velez was indicted on felony charges and has surrendered to authorities.Sandi Gibbons of the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said Velez was accused of a "conflict of interest" but would not comment further because the indictment was sealed.

See article L.A. Times

Nissan HQ tax dollars

From BlogoWogo:

Police officers in Gardena, California and Rocky Mount, North Carolina have taken to setting up roadblocks to check vehicles for illegal tint, registration and drivers for belt usage and license possession. No drunk drivers were busted, but 62 vehicles were impounded during the four-hour California roadblock alone. Police estimate that each seizure is worth around $1,400 in towing, ticketing and impound fees each. Well, it is twenty-three years past 1984, we suppose. This makes us feel a little queasy and a lot mad. After all, they disbanded the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Who told freaking Gardena they could pick up the mantle. We suppose losing those Nissan HQ tax dollars hurt worse than they initially thought. Thanks Carlos. Thanks a lot. – Davey G. Johnson

Be part of the start up of a new Charter School in Los Angeles

Developer committee is looking for volunteer members to help research the feasibility of starting a new charter school in south central Los Angeles, Torrance or Gardena. Become part of a founding community. Your kids get first choice to enroll in new school or you may become a full time employee once charter is granted.Charter schools are publicly funded, but community and privately managed public school. Our Mission is to create a 6-12th grade school dedicated to instructivist teaching methods and a college-prep curriculum.Instructional Methods - Direct Instruction and Mastery Learning (used now by catholic, private college prep., and Asian schools)Academic Curriculum - phonics, literacy, mathematics, science and empiricism, Core Knowledge (E.D. Hirsch), and character values.Our founding team has a total of over 30 years teaching experience, plus 18 years experience in private business and management. All are experienced in the Sylvan Learning methods in which a student is not promoted until he masters the previous skill level.

Kids enjoy learning, but enjoyment is a consequence of achievement not a prerequisite. If interested in making this charter happen, contact CharterStartUp@yahoo.com and let us know if you are a: 1)Parent 2)teacher 3)Administrator 4)Business leader 5)Education Reform supporter 6)other (specify).Thank you,