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Hawaiian Gardens Seeks Answers to New Post Office Site

 

By Jerry Bernstein

The question asked is “What is the status of a new Hawaiian Gardens Post Office site? Councilmember Reynaldo Rodriguez said the city was notified months ago when the Postal Service said it was closing the Hawaiian Gardens Post Office/ Distribution Center on the corner of Norwalk Boulevard and Centraila Avenue and would locate a smaller post office in the city.

Rodriguez asked what the status was. “Are we going to have a post office located in the city?” No one had an answer, so the council instructed City Administrator Ernesto Marquez to contact Post Office officials and find out what the status is for a new post office site in the city.

At the present time residents can still buy stamps at the site and mail packages and letters. However, they can no long rent mailboxes. The letters and packages are then picked up by postal workers and taken to the Los Alamitos Post office for distribution.

In other business the council approved a $7,000 donation to Fedde Academy to be used for a field trip for 24 students to Washington D.C. where they will receive an educational guided tour. The council approved the amount contingent  on whether the school can raise an additional $30,000. If the school can’t the money will be returned.

City Administrator Ernesto Marquez said the school and the PTSA have worked together holding fundraisers to offset the cost of the trip. At the present time $14,572,61 has been paid to World Strides Educational Tour Group. The total amount due is $49, 834. He said the students raised $4,446 through fundraisers. But $35,000 is still due.

He said the trip is scheduled to take place from June 25-29. Fedde Academy requested a $20,000 donation.

Mayor Mike Gomez said, “We do have this $5,000 program.” He felt the council could add additional $2,000 but agreed with the rest of the council that they could not afford a $20,000, donation.

Councilmember Barry Bruce said if the money is returned, the school could always come back to the council for a donation of $5,000 for another project. “We’re all for helping education, but I don’t feel we should put in all that money into one project. We don’t have the funds and we need to consider all the other requests we receive.”

”Fedde Principal Carol Castro told LCCN the field trip is still on. She said they are still trying to raise funds so the parents will have a minimum  out-of-pocket expense. “We’ve been planning this trip for the students all year and the parents do not want to cancel it now.

Any additional contribution will be appreciated.”

In other business the council also approved the second reading of an ordinance governing massage parlors in the city. Under state law local cities may adopt reasonable health and safety requirements and provides local authority with jurisdiction over massage establishments.

The new city ordinance requires massage therapists to operate in the city if they have a state license. In addition the ordinance outlines the hours of operation for massage establishments, which perform massage in private, and shall be limited to 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 pm. Those parlors that operate in public places, such as in the Hawaiian Gardens Casino, are exempt.

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