Amazon Will Open Facility in Cypress Lakewood Sheriff's Surprise
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LOS CERRITOS Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012- 2017. Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities • December 18, 2020 • Vol 35, No. 16 • loscerritosnews.net COVID Hits Lakewood Sheriff's Surprise Birthday Drive Thru F.D.A. Panel Cerritos Employees Approves Moderna’s at City Hall , Other Covid-19 Vaccine City Facilities BY BRIAN HEWS The coronavirus vaccine made by BY BRIAN HEWS Moderna moved closer to authorization on Thursday, a step that would expand the Hews Media Group-Cerritos News reach of the nation’s vaccination campaign has confirmed with city officials that sev- to rural areas and many more hospitals. eral Cerritos City Hall employees have As the nation reeled from the spread either contracted or have been exposed to of the disease, a panel of independent ex- COVID-19. perts recommended, by a vote of 20 -0, A few employees have contacted that the Food and Drug Administration HMG-CN and also confirmed the out- authorize the Moderna vaccine for emer- break. Photo by Tammye McDuff gency use. Following COVID-19 guidelines, the A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sebastian Sanchez with Lakewood Sheriff's, due A formal decision is expected on Fri- city told the employees who contracted to hardships, he never had a real birthday party, that changed when the sheriff's held day, and would trigger the shipment of COVID and the employees who were ex- a birthday for him. Deputies from (l-r), Ayud Manjra; Chris Avila; Marco Martinez; over 5.9 million doses around the country posed to immediately quarantine. Ariel Torres; Ron Vande Vhete; John Bluntach; Gil Pacheco; Steven Jackson; Marlon starting this weekend. One of the employees forward an Johnson; Juan Briseno. Moderna would be the second com- anonymous letter sent to City Manager pany allowed to begingiving shots to the Art Gallucci with a note stating, “Last BY TAMMYE MCDUFF public, giving millions more Americans week, at least 4 employees at City Hall sometimes we get overwhelmed with what tested positive for COVID-19. There Sebastian Sanchez turned nine years is going on,” stated Espinoza, “there’s al- See MODERNA page 5 old December 1, 2020. He, his mom Eva ways something that we can do to bright- See CERRITOS page 15 and his two sisters have been long time en a person’s life like I did for Sebastian, Bellflower residents. Sandra Espinoza, this boy never had a birthday celebration Amazon Will Ms. California Tourism and devoted Bell- in his nine years of life, I wanted to give Mayoral Transition flower resident has befriended this fam- him something to remember, to make this ily. year a little brighter.” Open Facility in Bellflower Due to family hardships, Sebastian has Espinoza held the family party at her never had a real birthday party. “Life has home in Bellflower. When the Sanchez in Cypress been very challenging for everyone and BY TAMMYE MCDUFF See LAKEWOOD page 12 Online behemoth will Juan Garza stepped down as Mayor occupy the former 22.3 and member of the Bellflower City Coun- ABCUSD Teachers Win SONIC Fundraiser acre Mitsubishi facility. cil at their meeting Monday, December 14, 2020, and a historic swearing-in oc- curred. BY BRIAN HEWS “I am beyond proud of all we have accomplished during my four years on The Cypress City Council recently City Council and as a member of the Bell- voted 4-1 to allow Amazon to take over flower Planning Commission as well as the old Mitsubishi plant in the city and use Parks & Recreation Commission,” stated the building as a last-mile facility for the Garza in a farewell release. online behemoth. Despite the challenges of this year, The 22.3 acre site is located at Katella development in the City continues to and Holder just east of Valley View and grow with an improved quality of life for Katella. its residents. The Amazon facility was deemed a “Regionally being entrusted to serve relatively new use facility in the city zon- and lead with amazing loyal, regional, ing codes and did not fit within any of its state and national leaders for the better- present zoning uses, but City Staff deter- ment of LA County and California has mined it was permissible because it com- been a humbling honor,” added Garza. plies with the Cypress Corporate Center “As I approach the end of my time on TEACHERS from Cerritos and Artesia won money for their classrooms by posting Master Plan. our City Council this evening, I consider projects and urging families to vote. File photo. Traffic could be an issue in the morn- myself blessed to have worked with so ing as the facility will operate 24/7 and is many dedicated individuals and to have expected to house 190 total delivery vans earned their trust faith. Our future is BY BRIAN HEWS leaving the facility every twenty minutes bright Bellflower, It has been one of the between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. For the twelfth year in a row and In partnership with nonprofit teacher highest honors to have served you and In addition, 18 semi-trucks will deliver during an especially urgent time of crowdfunding platform, DonorsChoose I look forward to what’s next.” Garza packages from the Inland Empire to the need, SONIC® Drive-In donated an and with the help of SONIC fans, a added that the City leadership is in great facility between 5 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Ap- all-time high of $1.3 million to fund teacher from Artesia, and ten from Cer- hands with the incoming new council proximately 280 additional delivery vans member Victor Sanchez. public school teacher requests across the ritos won funds to create an engaging will depart between 7 a.m. -8 a.m. country as part of its annual Limeades learning environment. See BELLFLOWER page 12 for Learning Fall Voting Campaign. See TEACHERS page 13 See AMAZON page 11 Helping Out Serving Food Lots of Lights Dip Perfection Off to Illinois Over 8,000 Letters La Mirada Rotary gives H.O.P.E. in the OC serves La Palma awards best Coffee and sweetness Whitney HS top diver will 102 year-old Lakewood out gifts and food. the needy decorated homes. combine for Tiramisu. attend Northwestern. resident writes to troops. Page 2. Page 5. Page 7. Page 8. Page 10. Page 15. 2 Los Cerritos Community News - LosCerritosNews.net To advertise call 562-407-3873 DECEMBER 18, 2020 La Mirada Rotary Club Continues to Support the Community BY TAMMYE MCDUFF A huge shout out goes to the City of The Rotary Club of La Mirada main- La Mirada; La Mirada Public Safety; tains the spirit of Christmas by spending Arco/AMPM La Mirada (Valley View); profits from their fireworks stand to help C.A. Van Dam Family Foundation and La Mirada residents steer through these La Mirada High School Interact Club. difficult times. Each year the La Mirada Rotary has On Thursday, December 17th, Ro- held the Eileen Wade ‘Clothes for Kids’ tarians gathered once again at Walmart shop-a-thon. However, as is the case the Neighborhood Market to help pur- with many service clubs, they were not chase complete holiday dinners for the able to take children shopping. How- Good Sam Pantry at Beatitudes of our ever, at the last minute, and with the as- Lord Church in La Mirada. Baskets of sistance of many volunteers, La Mirada turkeys, yams and mashed potatoes, as Rotary was able to pull off a modified well as sweet treats, were purchased for version of the event. 45 families to be distributed this week. Held at Splash! Regional Aquatics ROTARIANS (l-r) Mayor John Lewis, Raymond Fernandez and Russell Hall join Center, the Club was able to distribute “We distribute food from Good Sam Cathy and Jeff Ferrin at Walmart Neighborhood Market. $100 gift certificates for Marshall’s and Pantry to families twice a month” said presents were presented by Santa Claus Cathy Ferrin, volunteer, “the Rotary to 45 children in a drive through line. Club has been helping supply groceries at all the holidays.” Their holiday plans generous support throughout the years had to change a bit due to CoVID, so and especially during these past months instead of the Angel Tree toy collection, of the pandemic,” added Ferrin. If you they will be giving our gift cards to Wal- are interested in helping please visit mart and Target. www.bolchurch.net/goodsamaritan- "Our Good Samaritan Food Pantry foodpantry for more information team wants to thank everyone for their Huge Toy & Food Giveaway in Santa Fe Springs Christmas Dinners will with a free toy for each child. be handed out to the first 350 Heart For The City, Freedom Chris- families at the drive-thru event. tian Center’s dinners will include a whole chicken, potatoes and vegetables. The toy Freedom Christian Center will distrib- drive will run from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on ute thousands of toys and hand out 350 Saturday, December 19 at Freedom Chris- Christmas dinners at its annual Santa’s tian Center’s Santa Fe Springs campus Rockin Christmas Toy Drive. located at 13808 Imperial Hwy, Santa Fe The drive-thru event will feature a Springs, CA, 90670. For more informa- SANTA AND HIS ELF handing out gifts donated by the Rotary Club. Funds to buy the Wonderland Experience, a photo booth op- tion, or if interested in donating to this gifts are generated from the fireworks stand. portunity with Santa Claus, and culminate year’s event, visit go2freedom.org. DECEMBER 18, 2020 To advertise call 562-407-3873 Los Cerritos Community News - LosCerritosNews.net 3 Walmart Closed Pico Rivera Store for COVID Cleaning Polar Express Comes to Norwalk BY BRIAN HEWS erything we’re doing is for the well- being of our associates and customers, Walmart’s temporarily closed its and in consideration of guidance by the Pico Rivera Supercenter location at 8500 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Washington Blvd last Wednesday at 2 health experts.