Staff Report
Los Cerritos Community News and Hews Media Group went two-for two and captured two top honors at the 57th Annual Southern California Media Awards Ceremony sponsored by the prestigious Los Angeles Press Club this past Sunday night at the historic Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
There were over 1,000 entries this year, a record for the annual event.
Publisher Brian Hews took home first place in the category of Investigative Series for all print newspapers in the daily or weekly category in Southern California, including beating out the venerable Los Angeles Times, with the story about the La Mirada Football Booster Club entitled La Mirada Football Booster Club Under Scrutiny by Attorney General.
This was the second time in three years that HMG-CN won one of the Los Angeles Press Club’s most prestigious award.
The investigation revealed that the Booster Club violated several California laws and had little or no oversight on where and how hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent every year.
Even more alarming, the Booster Club indicated on all donation documents that it was a registered 501c3 non-profit organization, going so far as using an inactive and non-existent identification number.
The investigation also revealed that the organization did not have a California Franchise Tax Board number, and therefore did not remit taxable sales from fundraisers to the state.
Finally, no year-end or internal financial statements have been generated since 2006, and sources told HMG-CN that there are no bank statements available from the organization.
Given the lack of a registered 501c3, the booster club has also placed any person or organization that donated money to the club in a tax liability position.
As a result of this stunning mismanagement, the organization could be facing huge monetary penalties for failing to pay payroll taxes, failing to withhold taxes on independent contractors, and failing to pay sales tax.
The investigation also revealed that current and past Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District School Board members, ex-NLMUSD Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez, La Mirada High School (LMHS) Principal William “Bill” Seals, Moschetti, and LMHS Athletic Director Armando Rivas knew what was going on and either took action to cover the mismanagement up or did nothing about it.
The Investigative Category Judges praised Hews and HMG-CN’s winning entry by stating that the work “demonstrated classic investigative reporting here in this examination of the La Mirada Booster Club. Hews’ work has led to results and possible reform. This should be the goal of all serious investigative reporting. Congratulations. Your work could become a model for others. Every school has a Booster Club and I suspect many fail to follow rules.”
LCCN and HMG-CN also took second place in the News Feature Under 1,000 words category for the riveting expose on former Central Basin Municipal Water District GM Art Aguilar and his expensive golf outings with top officials at Pacifica Services, Inc., including CEO Ernie Camacho and VP Mike Sisson, that Aguilar did not report on his Statement of Economic Interests For 700.
After the story published, the California Fair Political Practices Commission investigated Aguilar and eventually fined him $30,000.
Last year, at the 56th Annual Southern California Media Awards, HMG-CN took home three awards including First Place in the category of Best News Feature for the article “Undercover FBI Agent Rocky Patel Used Dal Rae in Pico Rivera to Stage Calderon Sting Operation.”
The judges of the category praised HMG-CN’s winning entry by stating that the work was “A colorfully written examination of an FBI sting operation that reads like a capsule version of the hit film, American Hustle.”
HMG-CN also took second place in the News category for their explosive expose on former California State Assembly Speaker John Perez Implicated in the Central Basin Water District Investigation.
The LA Press Club also honored HMG-CN with a second place certificate in the category of Best Investigative Series for “Dirty Water: Corruption Inside the Central Basin Municipal Water District.”
Two years ago, at the 55th Annual Southern California Media Awards, HMG-CN won First Place for Best Investigative News Series for the hard hitting work that led to the arrest of Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez and three other individuals in what former District Attorney Steve Cooley called the biggest “political corruption scandal in the history of LA County.”
The 57th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards was dedicated to journalists Rick Orlov, Al Martinez and Stan Chambers.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @cerritosnews
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
90703 Tree Special Study Session……
One section of town, just West of the Post Office, summarized trees: Trees are trespassing everywhere, making city seem like Ghetto.
Summary: The residents can remove tree, but must use the city preferred contractors, which could cost upwards of $800 to remove city tree, plus make any repairs to PW properties, if breached during the removing process. Most residents do not have $800 to remove city parkway tree.
Poss. Fair Trade Violations.
http://cerritos.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=15&clip_id=3508
WOOF Dog Pupsicle Mix - Easy-to-Make DIY Pupsicle Refills - Tasty, Healthy Pupsicle Mix - Wholesome Ingredients - Long-Lasting Treats for Dogs - Balanced Belly Mix
$14.99 (as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Mini Monocular Telescope Focusing Optical Binoculars Waterproof and Non-Slip Monoculars for Adults, Black
(as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale, Digital Grams and Ounces for Weight Loss, Baking, Cooking, Keto and Meal Prep, LCD Display, Medium, 304 Stainless Steel
$12.99 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
HydroJug Traveler - 40 oz Water Bottle with Handle & Flip Straw - Fits in Cup Holder, Leak Resistant Tumbler-Reusable Insulated Stainless Steel & Rubber Base - Gifts for Women & Men, Pink Sand
$39.99 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
LUOBO Keychain Accessory Decor Keychain Decoration backpacks Bag Pendant, Collection Plush Hanging Pendant Keyring Card Gift。
$19.99 (as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Sharpie Permanent Markers Set, Quick Drying And Fade Resistant Fine Point Marker For Wood, Plastic, Paper, Metal, And More, Drawing, Coloring, And Poster Marker , Black, 12 Count
$9.98 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
MED PRIDE Non Latex Gloves Medium Disposable Non Sterile Powder Free Exam Gloves Vinyl Nitrile Blend Rubber Free Single Use for Nurses Medical 100 Count
$8.67 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Amazon Basics 99% Isopropyl Alcohol First Aid For Technical Use,16 Fluid Ounces, 1-Pack (Previously Solimo)
$7.69 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
New 2025 ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential - Energy Star Certified programmable Wi-Fi Thermostat - Works with Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant
$129.99 (as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Amazon Basics Digital Kitchen Scale with LCD Display, Batteries Included, Weighs up to 11 pounds, Black and Stainless Steel
$9.99 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Att: Scott Anderson – Don’t feel it’s the papers job to do PR work for the new boosters. Most of the parents, district, and school staff let you down by not having checks in places to begin with.
Those that didn’t want to get involved to begin with are the ones that need to step up to the plate and get the recovery word out. They created the mess they need to put their big boy pants on and clean up the mess.
You mention report the good and not the bad or the past. I’m sure that’s what let things get out of hand to begin with. Most everyone wanted only to hear the good and not many people wanted to deal with the bad. Sounds just like the people that vote for or otherwise allow all the bad politicians we read about in this paper.
Great job Mr. Hews and Los Cerritos Community News!!!
Amazon Basics 99% Isopropyl Alcohol First Aid For Technical Use,16 Fluid Ounces, 1-Pack (Previously Solimo)
$7.69 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Sharpie Permanent Markers Set, Quick Drying And Fade Resistant Fine Point Marker For Wood, Plastic, Paper, Metal, And More, Drawing, Coloring, And Poster Marker , Black, 12 Count
$9.98 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
WOOF Party Pupsicle - Long-Lasting Interactive Dog Toys for Boredom - Low-Mess Design - Birthday Gifts for Dogs - Large Dog Toys - Party Pink
$19.99 (as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
XIEERDUO 3/4 Length Sleeve Womens Tops Dressy Casual Blouses for Women 2025 Trendy V Neck T Shirts Summer Clothes
$14.99 (as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
USANOOKS Microfiber Cleaning Cloth Grey - 12 Pcs (12.5"x12.5") - High Performance - 1200 Washes, Ultra Absorbent Microfiber Towel Weave Grime & Liquid for Streak-Free Mirror Shine - Car Washing Cloth
$8.98 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
GORILLA GRIP 10x25 Compact Binoculars for Adults with Strap, Superior High Powered Clear 10X Magnification, Lightweight, Night Vision, Bird Watching, Hunting, Stargazing, Adjustable Eye Cups, Black
$18.49 (as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Blink Mini 2 (Newest Model) — Home Security & Pet Camera(s) with HD video, color night view, motion detection, two-way audio, and built-in spotlight — 1 camera (White)
$39.99 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale, Digital Grams and Ounces for Weight Loss, Baking, Cooking, Keto and Meal Prep, LCD Display, Medium, 304 Stainless Steel
$12.99 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
GOOACC - GRC-33 240PCS Bumper Retainer Clips Car Plastic Rivets Fasteners Push Retainer Kit Most Popular Sizes Auto Push Pin Rivets Set -Door Trim Panel Fender Clips for GM Ford Toyota Honda Chrysler
$12.14 (as of April 22, 2025 06:23 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
HBTower Step Ladder Folding Step Stool for Adults with Anti-Slip Pedal,330 lbs Capacity for Kitchen, Home,White
$49.49 (as of April 21, 2025 17:21 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)