San Bernardino Press_10/14/2024

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Riverside supervisors approve contract with nonprofit for CV spayand-neuter services

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CVenue management veteran John Bolton hired as Plaza Theatre GM

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Corona educator named a 2025 California Teacher of the Year

oronaHighSchool

automotive technology teacher Bob Mauger is one of California’s five teachers of the year, officials announced Tuesday.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a statement, “These remarkable teachers have a lasting impact on their students, equipping them with the skills needed for success. They serve as an inspiration and exemplify the exceptional work happening in California schools.”

In May, Mauger was named one of four 2025 Riverside County Teachers of the Year.

“Mr. Mauger’s selection as a 2025 California Teacher of the Year is a testament to the excellence of educators across Riverside County who continue to focus on providing outstanding opportunities for students in their classrooms while preparing them for their future,”

Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez said in a statement.

“His resourcefulness in securing industry-standard

tools and equipment helps ensure that students have what they need to succeed, secure jobs, and overcome personal challenges.”

Riverside County settles suit with Lamps Plus over misleading ads

RiversideCounty will receive just over $1millionfrom Chatsworth-based Lamps Plus Inc. under a civil settlement stemming from the company’s marketing strategies, which prosecutors contend involved false advertising that misled consumers, it was announced Wednesday.

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, together with DAs’ offices in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, filed suit against Lamps Plus

earlier this year following an investigation spearheaded by the Consumer Protection Unit in Riverside, which uncovered instances where the defendants “unlawfully advertised” products, according to a DA’s office statement. Last month, the plaintiffs and company reached a settlement in Riverside County Superior Court that was affirmed on Oct. 2 by Judge Carol Greene. The terms specify $3.8 million in civil penalties and $300,000 in cost recovery for the inves-

tigative resources expended. According to Deputy District Attorney Evan Goldsmith, Riverside County’s share of the payout will come to $1.025 million.

“Lamps Plus allegedly used ‘compare at’ and ‘comparable value’ sales tags to indicate a bargain price, even where the product sold was an own-brand product with no competitor in the market, or where the compa-

The state Department of Education administers the Teachers of the Year Program with support from the California Teachers

of the Year Foundation. The program began in 1972 to publicly recognize outstanding teachers with the added aim of helping

to inspire new teachers to enter the profession.

Mauger and the other teachers of the year will serve a yearlong stint as ambassadors of the profession and as representatives of the state.

“The prospect of becoming a teacher never entered Bob Mauger’s mind,” according to a statement from the Riverside County Office of Education. “After many stops and starts exploring various career options, everything changed after he volunteered at his daughter’s elementary school. ... Mauger describes his teaching career as increasingly rewarding with each passing year — especially as more students make the shift from his classroom to their own career journeys. His greatest satisfaction comes from witnessing the ‘aha’ moments from

Riverside County board OKs new fire ant inspection contract with state

By City News Service

The Board of Supervi-

sors Tuesday authorized the Riverside County Office of the Agricultural Commissioner to renew its contract with the state for inspections of interstate shipping points to identify and eliminate any red imported fire ant infestations.

The compact with the California Department of Food & Agriculture will be retroactive to Aug. 1 and conclude on July 31, 2025, at an estimated total cost to the

state of $95,118.

“Residents and businesses will be positively impacted, in that this program is aimed at preventing the spread of red imported fire ants, which are injurious to humans, landscape and exporting businesses,” the Office of the Agricultural Commissioner said in a statement posted to the board’s agenda. The office has served as the CDFA’s inspection and enforcement agent for red imported fire ant containment over the last decade.

Personnel generally examine plant nurseries imported into California to try to confirm whether infestations are present.

Portions of the Coachella Valley are under a federal quarantine of red imported fire ants that is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Orange County has the largest quarantine zone, while Los Angeles County has the smallest in the region.

Bob Mauger and students celebrate his selection as one of the 2025 California Teachers of the Year. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Office of Education

NVISION Latino Film & Music Festival showcases 39 films in Palm Springs

By City News Service

The 10th annual edition of the NVISION Latino Film & Music Festival took place at the Palm Springs Art Museum last week.

The three-day festival Thursday through Saturday included four feature-length projects and 35 short films, according to a statement. The selected crop of movies showcase themes such as Latino culture, Indigenous communities and LGBTQIA+ narratives.

Entries include filmmakers representing the United States, Cuba, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica and other countries. Almost 60% of the chosen submissions are directed by women and about 20% are from queer filmmakers, festival officials said.

“Each film in our selection is a testament to the creativity, resilience, and diverse perspectives of Latino artists from around the world,” Lex Borrero, co-founder and CEO of media company NTERTAIN, said in a statement.

“This year’s lineup showcases bold stories that challenge, inspire, and celebrate the richness of our culture. While it’s crucial to amplify these artists who have created remarkable independent features and shorts, it’s equally important to foster a space where they know they have a community to lean on,” Borrero said.

The film “Ponyboi,” director Esteban Arango’s story of a young intersex sex worker in New Jersey who attempts to escape the mob, opened the festival.

“Esta Ambición Desmedida,” the centerpiece of the festival, follows an artist’s journey and was highlighted to emphasize the event’s overall themes of music and unity, organizers said.

Other notable submissions to the festival included Raul Sanchez’s and Pasqual Gutierres’ “Shut up and Fish,” Nava Mau’s “All the Words But the One,” Andrew Reid’s “Iron Lung,” Gigi Saul Guerrero’s “Split Decision” and Felipe Vargas’ horror short “Hive.”

Director Fabien Pisani’s documentary “En la

Caliente: Tales of a Reggaeton Warrior” closed the festival. The film focuses on the life of Cuban artist Kandyman, a pivotal figure in the reggaeton movement.

“We chose to incorporate a rich mix of comedy, documentary, animation, experimental, music and live-action genres, showcasing artists from a wide array of communities throughout the entire lineup,” Christine Dávila, NVISION’s director of programming, said in a statement. “Our goal is to move beyond traditional categories and embrace the full spectrum of diversity in both the filmmaking medium and the themes explored.”

A series of panels on Latin music was interspersed throughout the festival’s three days, featuring industry voices such as multi-Latin Grammy nominee Leslie Grace, actor Anthony Ramos, Cinema Giants founder and CEO Jessy Terrero and music executive Areli Quirarte.

The full festival lineup is online at nvisionfestival. com/films.

Riverside supervisors approve contract with nonprofit for CV spay-and-neuter services

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday signed off on a new two-year contract between the Riverside County Department of Animal Services and a Thousand Palms-based nonprofit for low-cost spay/neuter services, in the county’s ongoing effort to reduce pet overpopulation impacting shelters.

The compact with Animal Samaritans is retroactive to July 1 and will expire on June 30, 2026. The total cost will be $1.2 million.

“The services provided by Animal Samaritans will benefit the citizens and animals who live in the desert region of Riverside County ... by providing localized spay and neuter services,” according to a Department of Animal Services statement posted to the board’s agenda.

“The ability to continue to provide spay and neuter surgeries for animals sheltered or owned by a resident is vital to controlling the pet population and to allow adoptions to continue without delay, reducing the costs associated with housing adoptable pets for longer periods of time.”

Animal Samaritans, which has been active in the Coachella Valley since the late 1970s, provides spay/neuter surgeries that are 60% lower in price than what’s typically charged for the surgeries in veterinary offices — $200 versus $500 —

according to agency officials.

The nonprofit’s spay/ neuter clinics under the county contract will be available in Blythe, Indio, Palm Desert and Thousands Palms, though primarily Blythe and Thousand Palms, documents stated.

Animal Samaritans operates a “no-kill shelter” in Thousand Palms.

The county has been utilizing the SPCA-affiliated nonprofit’s services since 2002.

Former Department of Animal Services Director Erin Gettis signed the request to renew the county’s contract with Animal Samaritans prior to leaving two weeks ago to take an administrative position with the Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley.

Her nearly three years as director were plagued by criticism of policies that animal welfare activists argue led to the county having the highest sheltered pets “kill rate” nationwide since 2022.

A lawsuit filed in August, spearheaded by the Rancho Mirage-based Walter Clark Law Group, is seeking a permanent injunction against the Department of Animal Services’ humane euthanasia programs.

Clark called it a “groundbreaking case” that’s predicated on the 1998 Hayden Act.

That legislation, authored by then-state Sen. Tom Hayden, D-Santa Monica, states in part, “no adoptable animal should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home.”

On Sept. 17, the board approved a two-year, $2.69 million contract with Austin, Texas-based Outcomes for Pets LLC to scrutinize animal services’ operations and recommend steps to correct problems, including shelters operating beyond capacity. The chief consultant will be Kristen Hassen, whom the county Executive Office lauded in documents for her “expertise in animal shelter management and strategic planning.”

“Hassen has the distinction of achieving a sustained 90% live outcome rate at three different shelters,” documents said.

However, some animal welfare activists have already begun appearing before the board during open public comment sessions, complaining that Hassen’s work has been less admirable than touted by the Executive Office. One speaker said Tuesday that she has a history of focusing exclusively on “what’s happening inside shelter walls,” not outside, ignoring community programs that prevent pet overpopulation in the first place.

| Photos courtesy of Nvision Film & Music Festival/Facebook
The Coachella Valley Animal Campus located at 72050 Pet Land Place in Thousand Palms. | Photo courtesy of Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez’s office

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Inside the State Department’s weapons pipeline to Israel

This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

Reporting Highlights

More Bombs: Ambassador Jack Lew urged Washington to give thousands more bombs to the Israelis because they have a “decades-long proven track record” of avoiding killing civilians.

A Thank-You: After State Department officials spent months working through weekends and after hours on arms sales, the Israelis sent cases of wine to them just before Christmas.

A Lobbying Push: Defense contractors and lobbyists have also helped push along valuable sales by leaning on State Department officials and lawmakers whenever there’s a holdup.

These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.

In late January, as the death toll in Gaza climbed to 25,000 and droves of Palestinians fled their razed cities in search of safety, Israel’s military asked for 3,000 more bombs from the American government. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, along with other top diplomats in the Jerusalem embassy, sent a cable to Washington urging State Department leaders to approve the sale, saying there was no potential the Israel Defense Forces would misuse the weapons.

The cable did not mention the Biden administration’s public concerns over the growing civilian casualties, nor did it address well-documented reports that Israel had dropped 2,000-pound bombs on crowded areas of Gaza weeks earlier, collapsing apartment buildings and killing hundreds of Palestinians, many of whom were children. Lew was aware of the issues. Officials say his own staff had repeatedly highlighted attacks where large numbers of civilians died. Homes of the embassy’s own Palestinian employees had been targeted by Israeli airstrikes.

Still, Lew and his senior leadership argued that Israel could be trusted with this new shipment of bombs, known as GBU-39s, which are smaller and more precise. Israel’s air force, they asserted, had a “decades-long proven track record” of avoiding killing civilians when using the American-made bomb and had “demonstrated an ability and willingness to employ it in [a] manner that minimizes

collateral damage.”

While that request was pending, the Israelis proved those assertions wrong. In the months that followed, the Israeli military repeatedly dropped GBU-39s it already possessed on shelters and refugee camps that it said were being occupied by Hamas soldiers, killing scores of Palestinians. Then, in early August, the IDF bombed a school and mosque where civilians were sheltering. At least 93 died. Children’s bodies were so mutilated their parents had trouble identifying them.

Weapons analysts identified shrapnel from GBU-39 bombs among the rubble.

In the months before and since, an array of State Department officials urged that Israel be completely or partially cut off from weapons sales under laws that prohibit arming countries with a pattern or clear risk of violations. Top State Department political appointees repeatedly rejected those appeals. Government experts have for years unsuccessfully tried to withhold or place conditions on arms sales to Israel because of credible allegations that the country had violated Palestinians’ human rights using American-made weapons.

On Jan. 31, the day after the embassy delivered its assessment, Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted an agency-wide town hall at an auditorium at the State Department headquarters where he fielded pointed questions from his subordinates about Gaza. He said the suffering of civilians was “absolutely gut wrenching and heartbreaking,” according to a transcript of the meeting.

“But it is a question of making judgments,” Blinken said of his agency’s efforts to minimize harm. “We started with the premise on October 7 that Israel had the right to defend itself, and more than the right to defend itself, the right to try to ensure that October 7 would never happen again.”

The embassy’s endorsement and Blinken’s statements reflect what many at the State Department have understood to be their mission for nearly a year. As one former official who served at the embassy put it, the unwritten policy was to “protect Israel from scrutiny” and facilitate the arms flow no matter how many human rights abuses

are reported. “We can’t admit that’s a problem,” this former official said.

The embassy has even historically resisted accepting funds from the State Department’s Middle East bureau earmarked for investigating human rights issues throughout Israel because embassy leaders didn’t want to insinuate that Israel might have such problems, according to Mike Casey, a former U.S. diplomat in Jerusalem. “In most places our goal is to address human rights violations,” Casey added. “We don’t have that in Jerusalem.”

On Sept. 24, ProPublica detailed how the government’s two foremost authorities on humanitarian assistance — the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department’s refugees bureau — concluded in the spring that Israel had deliberately blocked deliveries of food and medicine into Gaza and that weapons sales should be halted. But Blinken rejected those findings as well and, weeks later, told Congress that the State Department had concluded that Israel was not blocking aid.

The episodes uncovered by ProPublica, which have not been previously detailed, offer an inside look at how and why the highest ranking policymakers in the U.S. government have continued to approve sales of American weapons to Israel in the face of a mounting civilian death toll and evidence of almost daily human rights abuses. This article draws from a trove of internal cables, email threads, memos, meeting minutes and other State Department records, as well as interviews with current and former officials throughout the agency, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The records and interviews also show that the pressure to keep the arms pipeline moving also comes from the U.S. military contractors who make the weapons. Lobbyists for those companies have routinely pressed lawmakers and State Department officials behind the scenes to approve shipments both to Israel and other controversial allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia. When one company executive pushed his former subordinate at the department for a valuable sale, the government official reminded

him that strategizing over the deal might violate federal lobbying laws, emails show.

The Biden administration’s repeated willingness to give the IDF a pass has only emboldened the Israelis, experts told ProPublica. Today, as Israel and Iran trade blows, the risk of a regional war is as great as it has been in decades and the cost of that American failure has become more apparent, critics charge.

“The reaffirmation of impunity has come swiftly and unequivocally,” said Daniel Levy, who served in the Israeli military before holding various prominent positions as a government official and adviser throughout the ’90s. He later became one of the founders of the advocacy group J Street and president of the U.S./Middle East Project. Levy said there is virtually no threat of accountability for Israel’s conduct in Gaza, only “a certainty of carte blanche.” Or, as another State Department official said, “If there’s never any consequences for doing it, then why stop doing it?”

The war in Gaza has waged for nearly a year without signs of abating. There are at least 41,000 Palestinians dead, by local estimates. Israel says its actions have been legal and legitimate, unlike those of Hamas, which killed more than 1,100 Israelis, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7 and continues to hold dozens of hostages.

The U.S. has been a stalwart ally of Israel for decades, with presidents of both parties praising the country as a beacon of democracy in a dangerous region filled with threats to American interests.

In response to detailed questions from ProPublica, a State Department spokesperson sent a statement saying that arms transfers to any country, including Israel, “are done so in a deliberative manner with appropriate input” from other agencies, State Department bureaus and embassies. “We expect any country that is a recipient of U.S. security articles,” he added, “use them in full compliance with international humanitarian law, and we have several ongoing processes to examine that compliance.”

The spokesperson also

said Lew has been at the forefront of ensuring “that every possible measure is taken to minimize impacts on civilians” while working on a cease-fire deal to secure “the release of hostages, alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, and bring an end to the conflict.”

- Israeli military leaders broadly defend their aerial campaign in Gaza as a “military necessity” to eradicate terrorists hiding among civilians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also publicly pressured the Biden administration to hasten arms transfers. “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster,” he said in June.

- ProPublica sent detailed questions to representatives of the Israeli government as well. A spokesperson said in a statement: “The article is biased and seeks to portray legitimate and routine contacts between Israel and the Embassy in Washington with State Department officials as improper. Its goal appears to be casting doubt on the security cooperation between two friendly nations and close allies.”

- Weapons sales are a pillar of American foreign policy in the Middle East. Historically, the U.S. gives more money to Israel for weapons than it does to any other country. Israel spends most of those American tax dollars to buy weapons and equipment made by U.S. arms manufacturers.

While Israel has its own arms industry, the country relies heavily on American jets, bombs and other weapons in Gaza. Since October 2023, the U.S. has shipped more than 50,000 tons of weaponry, which the Israeli military says has been “crucial for sustaining the IDF’s operational capabilities during the ongoing war.” The air defenses that defend Israeli towns and cities — known as the Iron Dome — also depend largely on U.S. support.

There is little sign that either party is prepared to curtail U.S. weapons shipments. Vice President Kamala Harris has called for a ceasefire, lamented the death toll in Gaza and said she supported Palestinians’ right to selfdetermination as well as President Joe Biden’s decision to pause a shipment of 2,000 bombs in June. She has also echoed a refrain from previous administrations, pledging to “ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.” Harris also said she had no intention of breaking with Biden’s Israel policy.

Republican nominee for president Donald Trump, who has described himself as the “best friend that Israel

Israel

has ever had,” reportedly told donors that he supports Israel’s “war on terror” and promised to crush pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. Trump was also recently a featured speaker at the Israeli-American Council’s summit, where he cast himself as the most pro-Israel choice in the coming election. “You have a big protector in me,” he told the crowd. “You don’t have a protector on the other side.”

The United States first began selling significant amounts of weapons to Israel in the early 1970s. Until then, Israel had relied on an array of home-grown and international purchases, notably from France, while the Soviet Union armed Israel’s adversaries. Over the past half-century, no country in the world has received more American military assistance than Israel.

The U.S. gives the Israeli government about $3.8 billion every year and much more during wartime to help maintain its military edge in the region. Congress and the executive branch have imposed legal guardrails on how Israel and other countries can use the weapons they buy with U.S. money. The State Department must review and approve most of those large foreign military sales and is required to cut off a country if there is a pattern or clear risk of breaking international humanitarian law, like targeting civilians or blocking shipments of food to refugees. The department is also supposed to withhold U.S.-funded equipment and weapons from individual military units credibly accused of committing flagrant human rights violations, like torture.

Initially, a country makes a request and the local embassy, which is under the State Department’s jurisdiction, writes a cable called a “country team assessment” to judge the

fitness of the nation asking for the weapons. This is just the beginning of a complex process, but it’s a crucial step because of the embassies’ local expertise.

Then, the bulk of that review is conducted by the State Department’s arms transfers section, known as the Bureau of PoliticalMilitary Affairs, with input from other bureaus. For Israel and NATO allies, if the sale is worth at least $100 million for weapons or $25 million for equipment, Congress also gets final approval. If lawmakers try to block a sale, which is rare, the president can sidestep with a veto.

For years, Josh Paul, a career official in the State Department’s arms transfers bureau, reviewed arms sales to Israel and other countries in the Middle East. Over time, he became one of the agency’s most well-versed experts in arms sales.

Even before Israel’s retaliation for Oct. 7, he had been concerned with Israel’s conduct. On multiple occasions, he said, he believed the law required the government to withhold weapons transfers. In May 2021, he refused to approve a sale of fighter jets to the Israeli Air Force. “At a time the IAF are blowing up civilian apartment blocks in Gaza,” Paul wrote in an email, “I cannot clear on this case.”

The following February, he wouldn’t sign off on another sale after Amnesty International published a report accusing Israeli authorities of apartheid.

In both cases, Paul later told ProPublica, his immediate superiors signed off on the sales over his objections.

“I have no expectation whatsoever of making any policy gains on this topic during this Administration,” he wrote at the time to a deputy assistant secretary.

During that same time

period, Paul circulated a memo to some of the agency’s senior diplomats with recommendations to strengthen the arms sales review process, such as including input from human rights groups. Paul warned that the Biden administration’s new arms transfer policy — which prohibits weapons sales if it’s “more likely than not” the recipient will use them to intentionally attack civilian structures or commit other violations — would be “watered down” in practice.

“There is an inarguable significant risk of civilian harm in the sale of precision-guided munitions to Israel and Saudi Arabia,” the December 2021 memo said. The U.S. government has been historically unable to hold itself to its own standards, he wrote, “in the face of pressure from partners, industry, and perceived policy imperatives emerging from within the government itself.”

It does not appear that recommendations in the memo were implemented either. Paul resigned in protest over arms shipments to Israel last October, less than two weeks after the Hamas attack. It was the Biden administration’s first major public departure since the start of the war. By then, local authorities said Israeli military operations had killed at least 3,300 Palestinians in Gaza.

Internally, other experts began to worry the Israelis were violating human rights almost from the onset of the war as well. Middle East officials delivered at least six dissent memos to senior leaders criticizing the administration’s decision to continue arming Israel, according to those who had a role in drafting some of them. The content of several memos leaked to the media earlier this year. The agency says it welcomes input from the dissent channel and incor-

delivered his endorsement of Israel’s request for the 3,000 precision GBU-39 bombs, which would be paid for with both U.S. and Israeli funds. Lew is a major figure in Democratic circles, having served in various administrations. He was President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and then became his treasury secretary. He has also been a top executive at Citigroup and a major private equity firm.

porates it into policymaking decisions.

In one previously unreported memo from November, a group of experts across multiple bureaus said they had not been consulted before several policy decisions about arms transfers immediately after Oct. 7 and that there was no effective vetting process in place to evaluate the repercussions of those sales.

That memo, too, seemed to have little impact. In the early stages of the war, State Department staff worked overtime, often after hours and through weekends, to process Israeli requests for more arms. Some in the agency have thought the efforts showed an inappropriate amount of attention on Israel.

The Israelis, however, felt different. In late December, just before Christmas, staff in the arms transfers bureau walked into their Washington, D.C., office and found something unusual waiting for them: cases of wine from a winery in the Negev Desert, along with personalized letters on each bottle.

The gifts were courtesy of the Israeli embassy.

The State Department spokesperson said employees are allowed to accept gifts from foreign governments that fall below a certain dollar threshold. “To allege that any of their allegiances to the United States should be questioned is insulting,” he added.

“The accusation that the Department of State is placing a disproportionate attention on Israel is inconsistent with the facts.”

The spokesperson for the Israeli government told ProPublica, “The embassy routinely sends individual bottles of wine (not cases) to many of its contacts to cordially mark the end of the year holidays.”

One month later, Lew

The U.S. defense attaché to Israel, Rear Adm. Frank Schlereth, signed off on the January cable as well. In addition to its assurances about the IDF, the memo cited the Israeli military’s close ties with the American military: Israeli air crews attend U.S. training schools to learn about collateral damage and use American-made computer systems to plan missions and “predict what effects their munitions will have on intended targets,” the officials wrote.

In the early stages of the war, Israel used Americanmade unguided “dumb” bombs, some likely weighing as much as 2,000 pounds, which many experts criticized as indiscriminate. But at the time of the embassy’s assessment, Amnesty International had documented evidence that the Israelis had also been dropping the GBU-39s, manufactured by Boeing to have a smaller blast radius, on civilians. Months before Oct. 7, a May 2023 attack left 10 civilians dead. Then, in a strike in early January this year, 18 civilians, including 10 children, were killed. Amnesty International investigators found GBU-39 fragments at both sites. (Boeing declined to comment and referred ProPublica to the government.)

At the time, State Department experts were also cataloging the effect the war has had on American credibility throughout the region. Hala Rharrit, a career diplomat based in the Middle East, was required to send daily reports analyzing Arab media coverage to the agency’s senior leaders. Her emails described the collateral damage from airstrikes in Gaza, often including graphic images of dead and wounded Palestinians alongside U.S. bomb fragments in the rubble.

“Arab media continues to share countless images and videos documenting mass killings and hunger, while affirming that Israel is committing war crimes and genocide and needs to be held accountable,” she reported in one early January email alongside a photograph of a dead

| Photo by Pamela Drew CC BY-NC 2.0

toddler. “These images and videos of carnage, particularly of children getting repeatedly injured and killed, are traumatizing and angering the Arab world in unprecedented ways.”

Rharrit, who later resigned in protest, told ProPublica those images alone should have prompted U.S. government investigations and factored into arms requests from the Israelis. She said the State Department has “willfully violated the laws” by failing to act on the information she and others had documented. “They can’t say they didn’t know,” Rharrit added.

Rharrit said her superiors eventually told her to stop sending the daily reports. (The State Department spokesperson said the agency is still incorporating perspectives from Arab media in regular internal analyses.)

Lew’s January cable makes no mention of the death toll in Gaza or the incidents of the Israelis dropping GBU-39s on civilians. Eight current and former State Department officials with expertise in human rights, the Middle East or arms transfers said the embassy’s assessment was an inadequate but not a surprising distillation of the administration’s position. “It’s an exercise in checking the boxes,” said Charles Blaha, a former human rights director at the agency.

The State Department declined to comment on the status of that request other than to say the U.S. has provided large amounts of GBU-39s to Israel multiple times in past years.

While the U.S. hoped that the smaller bombs would prevent unnecessary deaths, experts in the laws of war say the size of the bomb doesn’t matter if it kills more civilians than the military target justifies. Lt. Col. Rachel E. VanLandingham, a retired officer with the Air Force’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, said the IDF is legally responsible for doing all it can to know the risk to civilians ahead of any given strike and to avoid indiscriminately bombing densely populated areas like refugee camps and shelters. “It seems extremely plausible that they just disregarded the risk,” VanLandingham added. “It raises serious concerns and indicators of violating the law of war.”

Officials at the embassy in Jerusalem and in Washington said that similar concerns have been repeatedly brought to Lew, but his instincts were to defend Israel. In a separate cable obtained by ProPublica, he told Blinken and other leaders in Washington that “Israel is a trustworthy defense articles recipient” and his country team assess-

Israel

ments ahead of past weapons sales have found that Israel’s “human rights record justifies the sale.”

Lew went even further and said the IDF’s system for choosing targets is so “sophisticated and comprehensive” that, by defense attaché Schlereth’s estimation, it “meets and often exceeds our own standard,” according to the cable. Two State Department officials told ProPublica that Lew and Schlereth have made similar statements during internal meetings. (The Navy did not make Schlereth available for an interview or respond to a list of questions.)

Early in the war, diplomats at the embassy also reported that Israel had dropped bombs on the homes of some of the embassy’s own staff, in addition to numerous other incidents involving civilians.

As to why Lew’s cables failed to reflect that kind of information, one official said, “My most charitable explanation is that they may not have had the time or inclination to critically assess the Israelis’ answers.”

In Israel’s New York consulate, weapons procurement officers occupy two floors, processing hundreds of sales each year. One former Israeli officer who worked there said he tried to purchase as many weapons as possible while his American counterparts tried just as hard to sell them. “It’s a business,” he said.

Behind the scenes, if government officials take too long to process a sale, lobbyists for powerful corporations have stepped in to apply pressure and move the deal along, ProPublica found.

Some of those lobbyists formerly held powerful positions as regulators in the State Department. In recent years, at least six high-ranking officials in the agency’s arms transfers bureau left their posts and joined lobbying firms and military contractors. Jessica Lewis, the assistant secretary of the bureau, resigned in July and took a job at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. The company is the largest lobbying firm in Washington, by lobbying revenue, and has represented the defense industry and countries including Saudi Arabia. (Lewis and the firm did not respond to requests for comment.)

Paul Kelly, who was the top congressional affairs official at the State Department between 2001 and 2005, during the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, said he regularly “got leaned on” by the private sector to push sales to lawmakers for final approval. “They wouldn’t bribe or threaten me, but they would say … ‘When are

you going to sign off on it and get it up to the Hill?’” he told ProPublica.

Three other State Department officials who currently or recently worked on military assistance said little has changed since then and companies that profit from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine frequently call or email. (The agency spokesperson told ProPublica that arms transfers are “not influenced by a particular company.”) The pressure also reaches lawmakers’ offices once they are notified of impending sales. Those measures include frequent phone calls and regular daytime meetings, according to an official familiar with the communications.

In some cases, the efforts appear to have drifted into questionable legal territory. In 2017, the Trump administration signed a $350 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, an extension of Obama’s former policy before he suspended some sales because of humanitarian concerns. For years, the Saudis and their allies used American-made jets and bombs to attack Houthi militant targets in Yemen, killing thousands of civilians in the process.

The following February, the State Department was weighing whether to approve a sale of precisionguided missiles produced by Raytheon to Saudi Arabia. A vice president at the company named Tom Kelly — the former principal deputy assistant secretary of the State Department’s arms transfers bureau — emailed a former subordinate, Josh Paul. Kelly asked to set up a meeting with Paul and a colleague at the company to “talk through strategy” on pushing the sale through, according to an email of the exchange.

Paul wrote back that such a meeting could be illegal. “As you’ll recall from your time here, we’re restricted by the Anti-Lobbying Act from coordinating legislative strategies with outside groups,” he said. “However, I think the potential bumps in the road are relatively obvious.” Those bumps were a reference to recent media articles about mass civilian casualty incidents in Yemen.

“No worries,” Kelly responded. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

Kelly and Raytheon did not reply to requests for comment.

The State Department ultimately signed off on the sale.

Mariam Elba contributed research. Republished

Report: California's homeless population grew again this year

New data shows nearly 186,000 people now live on the streets and in homeless shelters in California, proving the crisis continues to grow despite increasing state and local efforts to stem the tide.

That's according to an exclusive CalMatters analysis of the latest results of the point-in-time count, a federally mandated census that requires counties to tally their unhoused residents over the course of one night or early morning in January.

The count is up slightly from last year's tally of about 181,000, and up 8% from 2022, the last year most California counties counted people living in encampments. But there's some good news: The rate at which the homelessness crisis is growing appears to have slowed. It grew 13% between 2019 and 2022, 13% between 2017 and 2019, and 16% between 2015 and 2017.

And homelessness actually dropped significantly from 2022 in at least nine counties — bucking what for some was a yearslong trend of increases. At least four other counties saw their populations remain relatively steady.

CalMatters' analysis is based on data from the 32 counties that have reported it so far this year.

In counties that made progress this year, officials say they added more shelter beds and affordable housing — much of it through federal funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic or other new state money.

"Folks got serious," said Kari Howell, a program manager for the Homeless Services Division of San Luis Obispo County, which saw a 19% dip in homelessness compared with 2022. "Service providers started to get the support they needed from local communities that allowed them to further expand the work they were doing. I think we're really proud,

while also simultaneously acknowledging there's so much more work to do."

But experts warn these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. The county that reported the biggest increase in homelessness, San Joaquin, and the one that reported the biggest decrease, Sacramento, both changed the way they counted this year — calling into question how accurately this count can be compared to prior years. And in every county, experts warn the tally is likely an undercount, as volunteers are sure to miss people sleeping tucked away out of sight.

"Ever since the (pointin-time count) became a mandate, we've been railing against it," said Christy Saxton, director of health, housing, and homeless services for Contra Costa County. "Because it's incredibly flawed. Everyone has a different methodology."

Those challenges point to a bigger dilemma: Voters and politicians alike repeatedly report that homelessness is one of the most important issues facing California, but it's hard to address the problem without knowing its full scope.

Sacramento and San Joaquin counties saw big changes. Or did they?

Homelessness doubled in San Joaquin County this year compared to the county's last count in 2022. And the number of people sleeping outdoors — not in a shelter — increased nearly a whopping 160%. No other California county saw such a massive increase.

But the huge change raised questions.

Community leaders say the increase is, at least partially, part of a broader trend of more people landing on the streets in the Central Valley. Kern County saw the state's secondworst increase: Overall homelessness grew 67% compared to 2022, and the number of people sleeping

outside increased 128%. Fresno County didn't count its unsheltered homeless population this year, but it saw a nearly 80% increase in overall homelessness from 2019 to 2023.

Activists in the Central Valley blame rent increases, which, unlike in big cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, are rarely moderated by local rent control rules.

The Rev. Nelson Rabell, a pastor in Stockton who also serves on the board of affordable housing organization Faith in the Valley, blames the recent influx of people moving to the region from the Bay Area in search of cheaper housing. Families in his congregation keep coming to him with the same story: Their landlord kicked them out and wants to remodel their home to attract Bay Area renters with more money, he said.

"They're always on the brink," Rabell said of those displaced families. "One check away. Someone gets sick, or you have a landlord trying to take advantage of the situation. They're one month away from being homeless."

But there could be another factor behind San Joaquin County's massive increase in homelessness: A major change in the way the county counted.

This year, instead of doing the count itself, San Joaquin County used data firm Applied Survey Research, a company also used by nine other California counties this year.

In a change from last year, the county also assigned volunteers to every census tract in an effort to count all homeless people. And their numbers skyrocketed.

"Knowing how many people are living unsheltered is very disheartening," said Krista Fiser, chair of the county's continuum of care, "but most people involved with the county feel confident that it is a significantly more accurate count."

The new methodology

likely doesn't account for the entire increase. "Anecdotally, you can see it's getting worse," Fiser said.

But because of the data discrepancy, officials don't really know how much worse.

A questionable decline in homelessness in the capital Activists have raised similar questions in Sacramento County, which saw the state's biggest drop in homelessness. Overall homelessness fell 29% compared to the county's last count in 2022, and the number of people sleeping outside dropped 41%.

But Loaves & Fishes, a nonprofit that provides food and other services for homeless communities in Sacramento, says its programs served more people this year than last year. It questions whether the point-in-time count numbers are too good to be true.

"These numbers are incredibly difficult to believe and further highlight the trust issues with local government that our guests have consistently expressed over our many years of service," the organization said in a June news release.

Like San Joaquin, Sacramento County changed the way it counted. Instead of using Sacramento State University, the county hired Simtech Solutions — a data firm that also counted for more than a dozen other California counties this year. Sacramento made the switch because officials liked the idea of being part of that broader cohort, said Trent Simmons, director of data for Sacramento Steps Forward, the nonprofit that leads the county's count.

Simmons stands behind the reported drop. Though the vendor was different, the method they used was the same as in 2022, he said.

"When we point to a lot of other contextual data around the count, it all does point to the same direction," he said. "We see an increase in services, we see more people housed, more shelter capacity, more permanent housing capacity, we see more funding, we see more service providers in the system."

Problems with the homeless point-in-time count in California

The feds tell counties throughout the country

to count their unhoused populations at least every two years using a pointin-time census, which generally takes place over the course of one night in January. In California, the counts generate tons of fanfare. Armies of volunteers fan out to tally every person they see sleeping in a tent or a car, and mayors, city council members and other elected officials often join in. They also count everyone spending the night in a shelter.

The results are crucial. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development uses the data to help determine how much homelessness funding to give each county. But the numbers also have come to serve as a framework around which states base their understanding of the homelessness epidemic. State and local politicians constantly reference them in speeches: Decreases allow bragging rights, and increases are lobbed as ammunition at opponents.

The data also factors into legislation. Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, introduced

See Homeless population Page 07

A woman participates in a point-in-time count. | Photo courtesy of Loren Elliott/CalMatters/Stacker

a bill last year that would require local governments to provide enough housing for their homeless populations based on their most recent point-in-time count. While that provision is no longer on the table, the counts continue to come up time and time again in legislative hearings.

Most California counties that conducted a count this year released the results this summer. Thirteen counties, including Santa Clara, didn't count this year — they counted last year and will count again in 2025. Another 13 counted this year, but haven't yet released their results.

CalMatters compiled and analyzed the results available for each county. In reaching the statewide total, if there was no 2024 data, CalMatters used the most recent data reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The feds eventually will compile the data into a national report, but that likely won't happen until the end of the year. When it does, its total for California may be different from CalMatters' total, because it will include data that wasn't yet reported at the time of publication.

The federal agency recognizes the limitations of its mandatory count, saying it's not meant to capture the "entire universe" of people who are homeless throughout the year.

But, according to spokesperson Andra Higgs, "There is no other data source available that provides a more accurate count of both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness across the country."

There are ways local officials can make their counts more accurate, such as calling people on housing waitlists to ask where they sleep, or using school data to contact families of homeless students, said Peter Connery, vice president of Applied Survey Research — a nonprofit consulting firm that conducted counts for 10 California counties this year.

But the problem, Connery said, is that most counties conduct the counts

on a shoe-string budget, using staff who already have a full plate of other responsibilities. His firm charges between $50,000 and $185,000 for a count, depending on the size of the county. Those prices include paying people who are or have been homeless to help.

Counties do the best they can with what they have, Connery said.

"Does every county do an optimal job of it? I would say no, they don't," he said. Did cracking down on encampments change homelessness numbers?

As officials in cities throughout California experiment with new ways to manage homelessness, they eagerly awaited the results of this year's pointin-time count to see if their efforts paid off.

In San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria didn't get the reduction he was hoping for after cracking down on street encampments and directing people to "safe sleeping" sites. The number of people sleeping outside without shelter increased 6% in the city compared

Homeless population

San Diego count every year instead of every other year).

San Diego banned homeless encampments

go in a city without enough shelter beds or housing, city leaders opened sanctioned camps where people

to last year (unlike many other California jurisdictions, the city and county of

across a wide swath of the city in July 2023. To give people somewhere legal to

sleep in tents purchased by the city, and safe parking sites for people living in

RVs. The 749 people living in those sanctioned camps and parking sites are still counted as homeless and "unsheltered" by the feds, meaning they don't help San Diego lower its unsheltered point-in-time count numbers.

Gloria called that "frustrating." He sent the Department of Housing and Urban Development a letter this summer asking the agency to reclassify both types of sites as shelters.

"I believe the streets are better today than they were a year ago," Gloria told CalMatters.

In the city of Los Angeles, where Mayor Karen Bass has made clearing encampments a priority, homelessness dropped 2% this year from the year before. It's a small decline, but it's the first time in six years the city has seen any decrease. The number of people living on the street without shelter dropped 10%.

Bass drastically changed the way the city clears encampments in December 2022, when she launched Inside Safe, a program that moves people from camps into hotel rooms. More than 2,700 people have come indoors through that program, according

to LAist. But a CalMatters investigation found officials have struggled to provide the medical and mental health services participants need, and to move people from the temporary hotels into permanent housing.

People living in those temporary hotel rooms are still classified as homeless by the federal government.

The number of people sleeping outdoors dropped nearly 45% in Napa County from 2022 — the biggest decrease in unsheltered homelessness of any California county. City and county officials say that's because they've gone to great lengths to snap up state and federal funding.

In 2022, the county received just under $100,000 per year for permanent supportive housing from the feds, said Jennifer Palmer, the county's director of housing and homeless services. Now, they rake in more than $400,000.

"We're really decided that is the greatest need in the community," Palmer said.

In two years, the county also added 95 new shelter beds, more than doubling their supply.

But in some areas of California, the funds they used to make gains against homelessness have dried up. Homelessness decreased in Santa Cruz County by nearly a quarter between 2022 and 2023. Then it plateaued this year.

The county received nearly 400 new federal housing vouchers in 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But while those have been used up, people continue to lose their homes faster than the county can pull people out of homelessness, said Robert Ratner, director of Housing for Health in the county.

"We're not going to see progress in the (point-intime) count if that is the continuing dynamic," he said.

This story was produced by CalMatters and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. The article was retitled and copy edited from its original version. Republished pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

| Image courtesy of CalMatters/Stacker
| Image courtesy

Ocean Protection Council refines plans to protect California coastal waters

California has set a goal to protect 30% of its land and waters by the year 2030, so the Ocean Protection Council is working on which waters should count as protected and is identifying new conservation measures.

A public comment period on its draft framework just ended.

Drew Talley, professor of environmental and ocean sciences at the University of San Diego, said the proposal is on the right track but needs a little more work when it comes to estuaries, where the rivers meet the sea.

“It doesn’t look at some

of the main threats those systems are facing,” Talley explained. “Including sea level rise, degraded water quality and ongoing effects of historical alterations like dams and diking and urban runoff.”

The Ocean Protection Council is expected to release its final proposal Dec. 9. Estuaries are crucial habitat for many species. They also buffer communities from floods during a storm, reduce ocean acidification and help fight climate change, since marine plants store a great deal of carbon.

Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator for the Elkhorn

Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve near Monterey, said the contours of protected areas need to be widened, to account for the effects of climate change.

“With accelerated sea level rise, they’re going to need a lot of space to migrate upwards,” Wasson urged. “If we were to draw a circle around an estuary to say what’s protected, it needs to be 10 feet above where the marsh is today.”

More than 90% of California’s historic wetlands have been lost to development.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Conservation groups slam federal effort to reduce gray wolf protections

Environmental groups are slamming a Biden administration effort to remove federal protections for the endangered gray wolf.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just appealed a 2022 court decision reinstating protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act; protections lost in the Trump era.

Derek Goldman, Northern Rockies senior field representative for the nonprofit Endangered Species Coalition, said federal officials are making contradictory moves.

“On one hand, they said earlier this summer that they want to write a national recovery plan. But then they appealed to reinstate the Trump wolf delisting rule, which would presumably mean they don’t have to do a recovery plan,” Goldman pointed out. “This is kind of sending a mixed message here.”

In the suit, Justice Department attorneys argued the gray wolf is no longer in danger of extinction. The National Rifle Association and hunting and livestock groups also supported the Trump-era policy, which would send protections back to the states.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said seven confirmed packs of gray wolves have made their way down from Oregon. Goldman

acknowledged the wolves enjoy state-level protections but have a long way to go.

“They certainly haven’t recovered throughout all the suitable habitat that’s in California, like the Sierra Nevada mountain range,” Goldman noted. “But without the resources provided by the Endangered Species Act, they won’t fully recover.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service set a deadline of December 2025 to produce a new federal gray wolf recovery plan.

Disclosure: The Endangered Species Coalition contributes to Public News Service’s fund for reporting on Endangered Species and Wildlife. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, visit https://www.publicnewsservice. org/dn1.php.

New treatment, tips for taming postpartum depression

More new babies are born in the fall than any other time of year which also means some people who give birth may be heading into the winter months with what is sometimes called the “baby blues.”

Experts said postpartum depression is more than just the fatigue and life changes that come with being a new parent. In California and across the country, there are more treatment options, including a relatively new, fast-acting pill for severe postpartum depression, called Zurzuvae.

Dr. Donna O’Shea, OB/ GYN and chief medical officer for population

health at UnitedHealthcare, advised women who feel they are struggling to seek help rather than trying to go it alone.

“One in five women experience pregnancy-related mental health conditions,” O’Shea pointed out. “Of women who have postpartum depression, 20% will face suicidal thoughts and even attempt self-harm.”

She noted people have a higher risk of postpartum depression if they have a history of anxiety or depression, if they come from an under-resourced community, use drugs or alcohol or if they experience fertility challenges, an unwanted pregnancy or a difficult

birth.

Rhonda Smith, executive director of the nonprofit California Black Health Network, said equity issues are also at play here.

“Only about 4% of mental health providers are Black,” Smith stressed. “Trying to find a mental health service provider who looks like us, that is very, very difficult.”

Women are also urged to contact their doctors, activate their personal support network and find out if their company offers an employee assistance program including mental health resources.

Disclosure: UnitedHealthcare contributes to

Elkhorn Slough near Monterey is one of many areas likely to be included in the list of protected areas under the state’s 30x30 plan. | Photo by Kerstin Wasson
Historically, the U.S. had tens of thousands of gray wolves but now fewer than 5,000 remain, spread over a few Western states including California. | Photo by Gary Kramer/USFWS
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Proposition 36 gets support, opposition from SoCal county boards

Astate ballot measure addressinghomelessness, drug addiction and theft has gleaned support from supervisors in San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego, while majorities in Los Angeles and San Diego counties have opposed the initiative.

In November voters will consider Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, which would overturn Proposition 47 and stiffen penalties for drug possession and thefts under $950 by offenders with two prior drug or theft convictions. Under Prop 47, which state voters passed a decade ago in an effort to ease prison overcrowding, those offenses were reduced to misdemeanors.

Prop 36 would also establish stiffer penalties for fentanyl trafficking and longer prison sentences for flash-mob-style, organized retail robberies, while creating a new crime category called a “treatment-mandated felony.”

Offenders facing a third felony charge for possession of hard drugs including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine “would be given the option of participating in drug and mental health treatment,” according to the proposed law. “If the offender successfully completes drug and mental health treatment, the charge would be fully expunged, and the offender would receive no jail time.”

On Tuesday the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors was the latest panel of lawmakers to come out in favor of Prop 36.

Supporters claim the initiative strengthens the criminal justice system by mandating treatment or state prison time for individuals who repeatedly commit smash-and-grab thefts or traffic fentanyl.

San Bernardino County officials said the proposed law addresses “the comorbidity of drug dependence and mental health issues, which are contributing factors in the proliferation of public encampments and declining human conditions across the state.”

San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe said in a statement, “This measure makes important changes in the way we prosecute specific crimes, holding offenders accountable and making our communities safer. At

the same time, it ensures a balanced approach by providing an opportunity for those who require addiction treatment to get the help they need.”

County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement, “I fully support Proposition 36, which brings much-needed reforms to our criminal justice system. Prop. 36 puts consequences back into the system for suspects involved in the possession and use of hard narcotics and shoplifting. Suspects can also choose treatment and rehabilitation over incarceration for non-violent offenders.

“By helping individuals break the cycle of addiction, we can reduce recidivism and enhance public safety. ... This initiative ensures that our resources are directed toward serious offenders while giving those struggling with substance abuse the opportunity for meaningful recovery,” Dicus said.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said in a statement, “Proposition 36 delivers reforms needed to appropriately address the rise in drug-related crime while maintaining the integrity of our criminal

justice system. The critical element lacking in the current legislation is an advisal for repeat offenders who deal deadly substances like fentanyl and heroin. Prop. 36 strengthens our ability to hold them accountable for putting profits before human life. At the same time, it provides a clear path to rehabilitation for those willing to seek treatment.”

Anderson added that an approved proposition “will give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools we need to combat crime while also offering individuals a chance at recovery and reintegration into society.”

On Sept. 24 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to oppose Prop 36.

LA County Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Hilda Solis’ motion argued that Prop 47 provides millions in funding for housing services, mental health care, addiction treatment and job training.

If voters pass Prop 36, it would cause “a loss of funding for Los Angeles County programs that provide alternatives to incarceration and necessary supportive services to communities,” according to

the motion.

The supervisors contend the initiative would lead to higher incarceration rates, higher court costs and take away funding from programs that aim to reduce crime and recidivism.

“This measure, while seemingly well-intentioned, undermines the social and economic interests of the county, disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, and threatens to reverse important gains in justice reform,” according to the motion.

The motion also said the county’s programs have received more funding than anywhere else in the state and have helped over 10,000 people who have demonstrated a low rate or crime recidivism — 90% of individuals who received Prop 47-funded diversion and reentry services in LA County from 2019 to 2023 were not convicted of any subsequent crimes.

Supervisor Janice Hahn recused herself from the vote, and Supervisor Kathryn Barger voted against the motion.

“I’m supporting Proposition 36 because it will reinstate accountability on crimes destroying the

said.

On Wednesday the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted its support for Prop 36.

“Proposition 47 has contributed to the rise in organized retail theft, store closures, and difficulties in getting people the mental health and addiction treatment they desperately need,”

OC board Chair Don Wagner said in a statement. “Proposition 36 offers targeted solutions, ensuring public safety while helping individuals break the cycle of addiction and crime.”

OC Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement, “Our communities deserve to feel safe whether walking their dogs, shopping at the Plaza, sleeping in their homes, or grabbing a Slurpee at 7/11. We can no longer tolerate this culture of crime that’s developed in the State of California. I strongly and unequivocally support Proposition 36.”

Also Wednesday, a divided San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to reject endorsement of Prop. 36.

quality of life of law-abiding people in Los Angeles County,” Barger said in a statement. “I believe this proposition isn’t about overturning Proposition 47 in its entirety. Proposition 36 was created by a group of bi-partisan state legislators. It’s focused on modifying legal loopholes that repeat offenders exploit as they manipulate the system to avoid legal consequences. ...

“I also believe we can implement Proposition 36’s reforms in a balanced way that respects our Board of Supervisors’ commitment to diversion and rehabilitation,” Barger continued. “We will continue honoring our sizable, multimilliondollar investments in the work of our county’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department and Department of Youth Development. Their respective missions are to decrease recidivism, enhance re-entry services, and ultimately prevent individuals from becoming involved with justice systems.

“But supporting Proposition 36 sends a clear message to individuals who feel they are beyond the reach of the law: you will be held accountable,” Barger

Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas voted against the endorsement, as did Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe. Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond were in favor of a resolution supporting Prop 36.

In a statement following the vote, Desmond called Prop 36 “a vital step towards making our community safer and giving people a chance to rebuild their lives.”

Vice Chair LawsonRemer said that an enacted Prop 36, the San Diego County would lose around $14 million in state funding for mental health and drug addiction treatment, along with homelessness programs.

Lawson-Remer added that the proposed law would result in the county spending $58 million more each year for criminal justice expenditures.

“Getting rid of the successful programs that provide treatment for people abusing drugs and alcohol will create more criminals, and will result in hundreds more people living on our streets,” Lawson-Remer said in a statement.

The election featuring Proposition 36, along with the races for president and many local, state and federal offices, is Nov. 5.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. | Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County

and Professions Code). Publish: 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024. ARCADIA WEEKLY. AAA1301799.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024 190118 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Baldwin Business Park, 2440 S Hacienda Blvd Ste 124, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745. This business is conducted by a limited liabilty partnership. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on August 2013. Signed: (1). The Rutherford Irrevocable Childrens’ Trust Joyce I. Tanimoto, Trustee, 2440 S Hacienda Blvd Ste 124, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 (2). The Tanimoto Irrevocable Childrens Trust Gay N. Rutherford, Trustee, 2440 S Hacienda Blvd Ste 124, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 (3). The Steven Nishozu Irrevocable Childrens’ Trust Norman L. Nishizu, Trustee, 2440 S Hacienda Blvd Ste 124, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 (4). The Norman Nishizu Irrevocable Childrens’ Trust Steven W. Nishizu, Trustee, 2440 S Hacienda Blvd Ste 124, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 (5). Westmont Corporation, 2440 S Hacienda Blvd Ste 124, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745. Joyce I. Tanimoto, General Partner of Baldwin Ohana LP, General Partner The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 11, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

sc FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024 190129 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Daragon Auto Sales, 1748 Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on August 2018. Signed: Edik Ed Davidyan, 1748 Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 11, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

sc FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024 190113 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Hernandez Concrete, 9139 Arlee Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on April 2010. Signed: Danny Hernandez, 9139 Arlee Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 11, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

sc FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024 190131 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as JP Window Cleaning Services, 31230 Quail Valley Rd, Castaic, CA 91384. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on October 2009. Signed: Joseph Perry Paganelli, 31230 Quail Valley Rd, Castaic, CA 91384 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 11, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that

date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

sc

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024 190121 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as JT Place, 2319 W 54th St, Los Angeles, CA 90043. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on January 2002. Signed: Jessie T Atkins, 2319 W 54th St, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 11, 2024.

NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

sc

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024 190123 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as The Value of Architecture, 9464 Wilshire Blvd Ste 100, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on August 2019. Signed: Archetype, Inc (Tx- 5058847, 2186 W 29th Pl, Los Angeles, Ca 90212; Brian Walsh Linder, President. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 11, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024 sc

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024202789 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as MULAN CONSTRUCTION, 3821 GILMAN RD UNIT D, EL MONTE, CA 91732. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on September 2024. Signed: MULAN TRANSPORT INC (CA-C4732080, 3821 GILMAN RD UNIT D, EL MONTE, CA 91732; FANGKAI LIU, CEO. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 27, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024201276 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Albert Iron Work, 11660 Sheldon St Unit C, Sun valley, CA 91352. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on September 2024. Signed: Mathew Ebrahimian, 11660 Sheldon St Unit C, Sun valley, CA 91352 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 26, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

LEGALS

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024205558

NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as San Gabriel Barbershop & Salon, 633 S San Gabriel Blvd #208, San Gabriel, CA 91776. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. Signed: Victorialinh Trieu, 633 S San Gabriel Blvd #208, San Gabriel, CA 91776 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 3, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024205245

NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Love Chicken and Ribs, 5240 Irwindale Ave, Irwindale, CA 91706. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on July 2018. Signed: Arturo Duran, 5240 Irwindale Ave, Irwindale, CA 91706 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 2, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024205270 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). The Little Big Project (2). Queen Haven , 112 S Market Street #133, Inglewood, CA 90301. This business is conducted by a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on June 2021. Signed: The Little Big Project (CA202117910050, 112 S Market Street #133, Inglewood, CA 90301; Cherella Nicholson, Founder/Managing Director. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 2, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024196488 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Spice Craft, 23222 Runnymede Street, West Hills, CA 91307. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on August 2024. Signed: Murtaza Shabbir Hussain Badrudeen, 23222 Runnymede Street, West Hills, CA 91307 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 19, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024204786 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as ADVANCED CARE PHARMACY, 2100 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90806. This business is conducted by a limited liability company (llc). Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the

fictitious business name or names listed herein. Signed: ADVANCED RX LB LLC (CA-202463519159, 2100 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90806; KARAN VIRADIYA, MANAGING

MEMBER. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 2, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024199182 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). 2V Creative Studio (2). 2V Creative , 4558 Willis Ave Unit 122, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. This business is conducted by a married couple. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. Signed: (1). Surainy elena Jimenez, 4558 Willis Ave Unit 122, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (2). Luis felipe Carrasquero, 4558 Willis Ave Unit 122, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (Co-Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 24, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024209900 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as DENTURE ZONE, 3971 Brighton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90062. This business is conducted by a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on October 2024. Signed: RETAINER ZONE LLC (CA-201414210073, 3971 Brighton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90062; Marissa Crespo, President. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 9, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024210132 NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Studio See-See, 435 E Greystone Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016. This business is conducted by a married couple. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on October 2024. Signed: (1). Diana Zheng, 435 E Greystone Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 (2). Robert Stenson, 435 E Greystone Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 (Wife). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 9, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024206792

NEW FILING.

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). GOLDEN CHICKEN (2). KIDS PIZZA PLACE (3). LA WEST BBQ , 18119 Saticoy St, Los Angeles, CA 91335. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on August 2024. Signed: GHAZARYAN RESTAURANT GROUP INC (CA-6325963, 18119

Saticoy St, Los Angeles, CA 91335; VAHAGN GHAZARYAN, CEO. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 4, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024210397 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as SL Unified Solution, 4517 Fendyke Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on October 2024. Signed: Sam Lim, 4517 Fendyke Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 9, 2024.

NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024205517 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). Specialized Systems (2). Specialized Tax & Consulting Service (3). Specialized Financial Services , 1431 Rolling Hill Dr, Monterey Park, CA 91754-4624. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on September 2024. Signed: Brenton Chinn, Po Box 976, Monterey Park, Ca 91754 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 3, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code).

Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024210435 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as NEW SMILES LANCASTER, 44558 10th St W Ste B, Lancaster, CA 93534. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on October 2024. Signed: LANCASTER DENTAL OFFICE OF JILBERT BAKRAMIAN INC (CA-6332423, 44558 10th St W Ste B, Lancaster, CA 93534; JILBERT BAKRAMIAN, President. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 9, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024201123 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Law Office of Howard Gan, 1419 Tanglewood Dr, Corona, CA 92882. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. Signed: Howard Gan, 1419 Tanglewood Dr, Corona, CA 92882 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Riverside on September 25, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that

date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024209784 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). Elite Direct Enterprise (2). Elite Direct Executives , 3201 W Teample ave ste 260, pomona, CA 91768. This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on October 2024. Signed: Elite Direct Management Inc (CA-6365733, 3201 W Teample ave ste 260, pomona, CA 91768; Kari Hitt, President. The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 9, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common

STATEMENT

BUSINESS

of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024191967 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as JP INTEGRITY PLUS MANAGEMENT, 2619 e Jackson st, long beach, CA 90810. This business is conducted by a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on January 2024. Signed: JOSHUA JAMES PHILLIPS, 2619 e Jackson st, long beach, CA 90810 (Owner). The statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on September 12, 2024. NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state or common law (See Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professional Code). Pub. Monrovia Weekly 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024, 11/04/2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2024208397 NEW FILING. The following person(s) is

File your DBA with us at filedba.com

Monterey Park City Notices

City of Monterey Park

Engineering Division

320 West Newmark Avenue

Monterey Park, CA 91754

Tel. No: (626) 307-1320

Fax: (626) 307-2500

NOTICE INVITING BIDS

BARNES GYMNASIUM FLOORING REPLACEMENT

SPEC. NO. 2024-007

Contract Time: 40 Working Days; Liquidated Damages: $1,000 per working day.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The project consists of the removal and reroofing, asbestos abatement and all related work on file with the City’s Public Works Department. Prevailing wages required. A 10% Bidder’s Bond is required with bid. Successful contractor will be required to provide: (1) Liability insurance with City of Monterey Park as addition insured endorsement; (2) Proof of workers’ compensation insurance coverage; (3) 100% Faithful Performance, (4) 100% Labor and Material Bond, and (5) DIR Registration.

Plans are available to download for a fee from QuestCDN; link on the City’s website www.montereypark.ca.gov/444/Bids-Proposals. Bid Package Cost: $22.00.

Bid Due Date and Time: Bids will be received via the online electronic bid service, Quest Construction Data Network (QuestCDN), www.questcdn.com, until 10:00 AM, Thursday, October 31, 2024. Questions? Please call: Anthony Bendezu, Civil Engineering Associate at (626) 307-1320.

Publish October 7 & 14, 2024

MONTEREY PARK PRESS

City of Monterey Park Engineering Division

320 West Newmark Avenue Monterey Park, CA 91754

Tel. No: (626) 307-1320

Fax: (626) 307-2500

NOTICE INVITING BIDS

LANGLEY SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER, GARVEY RANCH MUSEUM, GEORGE ELDER GYMNASIUM ROOFS REPLACEMENT SPEC. NO. 2024-008

Contract Time: 90 Working Days; Liquidated Damages: $1,000 per working day.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The project consists of the removal and reroofing, asbestos abatement and all related work on file with the City’s Public Works Department. Prevailing wages required. A 10% Bidder’s Bond is required with bid. Successful contractor will be required to provide: (1) Liability insurance with City of Monterey Park as addition insured endorsement; (2) Proof of workers’ compensation insurance coverage; (3) 100% Faithful Performance, (4) 100% Labor and Material Bond, and (5) DIR Registration.

Plans are available to download for a fee from QuestCDN; link on the City’s website www.montereypark.ca.gov/444/Bids-Proposals.

Bid Package Cost: $22.00.

Bid Due Date and Time: Bids will be received via the online electronic bid service, Quest Construction Data Network (QuestCDN), www.questcdn.com, until 11:00 AM, Thursday, October 31, 2024. Questions? Please call: Anthony Bendezu, Civil Engineering Associate at (626) 307-1320

Publish Ocotber 7 & 14, 2024 MONTEREY PARK PRESS

Glendale City Notices

Notice

Authority Of The City Of Glendale Proposed PHA Administrative Plan

In accordance with Section 5A of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (USHA), as amended by Section 511 of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, the Housing Authority of the City of Glendale (Housing Authority) has prepared a draft PHA Administrative Plan for public review and comment.

The public hearing on the PHA Administrative Plan will be held before the Housing Authority of the City of Glendale. The public may be present in person or watch and participate from the safety of their homes. Meetings are broadcast live on Glendale TV, viewable on Spectrum Cable, channel 6, and AT&T U-verse, channel 99. Meetings are also streamed live in high definition (HD) on the city's webpage, glendaleca.gov/live, on YouTube.com/ myglendale, and on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire devices using a free app called Screenweave and choosing “Glendale TV” from the menu.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024, time is TBD

COUNCIL CHAMBERS

613 E. Broadway, 2nd Floor Glendale, CA 91206

The proposed plan is available during a forty-five day public review and comment period, from October 30, 2024 to December 17, 2024 and may be viewed online at the following location: https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/community-development/housing/ plans-reports-and-loan-forms You may also obtain a copy of the plan via email. The public is invited to submit written comments concerning the Plan to: City of Glendale, Department of Community Development, Attn: Edgar Akopyan, 141 N. Glendale Avenue, Room 202, Glendale, CA 91206 or via email eakopyan@glendaleca.gov or fax at 818-548-3230.

LEGALS

Probate Notices

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: ROBERT DEHNOUSHI

CASE NO. 24STPB11051

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of ROBERT DEHNOUSHI.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by STELLA MIRZABEGIAN DEHNOUSHI AKA STELLA M. DEHNOUSHI AKA STELLA

DEHNOUSHI in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that STELLA M. DEHNOUSHI be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 11/15/24 at 8:30AM in Dept. 99 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner

SIBYLLE GREBE - SBN 141553, LORENZO C. STOLLER - SBN 291581, THE PROBATE HOUSE, L.C. 3424 WEST CARSON STREET, SUITE 320 TORRANCE CA 90503

Telephone (310) 542-9888 10/7, 10/10, 10/14/24

CNS-3858372# GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF MARGOT GLORENA PEREYDA aka MARGOT G. PEREYDA aka MARGOT PEREYDA aka MARGARET PEREYDA

Case No. 24STPB04620

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of MARGOT GLORENA PEREYDA aka MARGOT G. PEREYDA aka MARGOT PEREYDA aka MARGARET PEREYDA

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by David Pereyda in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that David Pereyda be ap-pointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests au-

thority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court ap-proval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on March 10, 2025 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 9 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal rep-resentative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: CYNTHIA VELASCO ESQ SBN 306140 GREENACRE LAW LLP 700 FLOWER ST STE 1000 LOS ANGELES CA 90017 CN109741 PEREYDA Oct 10,14,17, 2024 ALHAMBRA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: KATSUHIRO HORIUCHI CASE NO. 24STPB10972

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of KATSUHIRO HORIUCHI.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by KEARY K. HORIUCHI in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that KEARY K. HORIUCHI be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 11/08/24 at 8:30AM in Dept. 29 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA

90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal rep-

resentative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner BRIAN O’TOOLE - SBN 260193

LAW OFFICES OF BRIAN O’TOOLE 2950 BUSKIRK AVE STE 330 WALNUT CREEK CA 94598

Telephone (925) 944-1665

10/10, 10/14, 10/17/24

CNS-3859517# PASADENA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: SUSAN ROBERTS AKA SUSAN J. ROBERTS

CASE NO. 24STPB10989

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of SUSAN ROBERTS AKA SUSAN J. ROBERTS.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by CHARLES ROBERTS in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that CHARLES ROBERTS be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 11/12/24 at 8:30AM in Dept. 29 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner

CHARLES A. KAUSEN - SBN 348007

FINLAY LAW GROUP, APC 4665 MACARTHUR CT STE 205 NEWPORT BEACH

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: YOLANDA O. MOLINA CASE NO. 24STPB11221

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of YOLANDA O. MOLINA. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by ANA M. MOLINA in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that ANA M. MOLINA be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 11/08/24 at 8:30AM in Dept. 79 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner

CHRISTOPHER B. JOHNSONSBN 173521 LAW OFFICES OF CHRISTOPHER B. JOHNSON

180 N. PENNSYLVANIA AVE. PASADENA CA 91741

Telephone (888) 503-7615 10/10, 10/14, 10/17/24 CNS-3859588# WEST COVINA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: MARY ELIZABETH WEBER AKA MARY ELIZABETH MILLER

CASE NO. 24STPB11211

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of MARY ELIZABETH WEBER AKA MARY ELIZABETH MILLER.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by PAUL M. WEBER in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that PAUL M. WEBER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. FBN20240007914

The following persons are doing business as: Orange Sun Property Services, 60828 Mason Dr, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. Mailing Address, 60828 Mason Dr, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 . WebSeed LLC (CA, 60828 Mason Dr, Joshua Tree, CA 92252; Ross McMinnBorough, CEO. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on July 15, 2024. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ Ross McMinnBorough, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on August 29, 2024 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20240007914 Pub: 09/30/2024, 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024 San Bernardino Press

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). ProServ Mortgage (2). ProServ Realty 20833 Hartsdale Drive Riverside, CA 92508 Riverside County Presage Financial Corporation (CA, 20833 Hartsdale Drive, Riverside, CA 92508 Riverside County This business is conducted by: a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on September 16, 2024. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).) s. Eric Carl Carlson, President Statement filed with the County of Riverside on September 16, 2024 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business

rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code).

I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202411765 Pub. 09/30/2024, 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024 Riverside Independent

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). Catalyst – Riverside (2). Catalyst Riverside (3). Catalyst Cannabis Riverside (4). Catalyst Cannabis Co. – Riverside (5). Catalyst Cannabis –Riverside 1778 Columbia Avenue Riverside, CA 92507

Riverside County Catalyst – Riverside LLC (CA, 401 Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802

Riverside County

This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).)

s. Elliot Lewis, Manager Statement filed with the County of Riverside on September 25, 2024 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202412138 Pub. 09/30/2024, 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024 Riverside Independent

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Atria Rancho Mirage 34560 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Riverside County Mailing Address, 300 E. Market St, Ste 100, Lousiville, KY 40222. Jefferson County AOC CA Opco GP Partner, LLC (KY, 500 N. Hurstbourne Parkway Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40222

Jefferson County

This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on February 1, 2019. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).)

s. Dana J Laker, Secretary Statement filed with the County of Riverside on September 19, 2024

NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a

LEGALS

fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code).

I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.

Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202411905 Pub. 09/30/2024, 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024 Riverside Independent

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). La Calaca (2). Coachella General LLC 1258 6th St Coachella, CA 92236 Riverside County Coachella General LLC (CA, 333 N Sunrise Way PO 367, Palm Springs, CA 92262 Riverside County This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).)

s. Robert Lee, Manager Statement filed with the County of Riverside on September 25, 2024 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.

Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202412139 Pub. 09/30/2024, 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024 Riverside Independent

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20240008896

The following persons are doing business as: Public Good, 51979 Holiday Lane, Pioneertown, CA 92268. Mailing Address, Po Box 93, Pioneertown, CA 92268. Christine Mathias. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct.

A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section

17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ Christine Mathias, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on October 2, 2024 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20240008896 Pub: 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024 San Bernardino Press

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20240008894

The following persons are doing business as: Snow Peak Communicatons, 11401 Raywood Flat Road, Morongo Valley, CA 92256. Mailing Address, 133 Seeman Drive, Encinitas, Ca 92024. Stephen J Mascaro. (Owner) County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino

This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on August 21, 2024. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ Stephen J Mascaro, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on October 2, 2024 NoticeIn accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20240008894 Pub: 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024 San Bernardino Press

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). Connected3030 Learning Solutions (2). Hope Service Publishing LLC (3). Moral Fiber Apparel Co. 29180 Wrangler Dr. MURRIETA, CA 92563 Riverside County Hope Service Publishing LLC (CA,

29180 Wrangler Dr., MURRIETA, CA 92563

Riverside County

This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on October 1, 2024. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).)

s. Hilda Broussard, CEO Statement filed with the County of Riverside on October 1, 2024 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Peter Aldana, County, ClerkFile# R-202412407 Pub. 10/07/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/21/2024, 10/28/2024 Riverside Independent

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20240009012

The following persons are doing business as: San Bernardino Eye Specialists, 1887 Business Center Dr Suite 2A, San Bernardino, CA 92408. Mailing Address, 1909 N. Waterman Ave. Ste 3, san bernardino, CA 92404. Gintien Huang, M.D. INC.., A California Medical Corporation (CA, 1909 N Waterman Ave Ste 3, San Bernardino, CA 92404; gintien huang, president. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a corporation. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct.

A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ gintien huang, president. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on October 4, 2024 NoticeIn accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common

The following person(s) is (are)

Riverside County schools, businesses, government agencies brace for quake drill

People in government offices, businesses and schools throughout Riverside County this week will stop everything for a minute to “drop, cover and hold on” during a statewide earthquake preparedness drill, now in its 16th year.

The Great California ShakeOut of 2024 is scheduled for 10:17 a.m. on Thursday.

“What we do to prepare now, before the next big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover,” according to a statement posted to ShakeOut.org. “Great ShakeOut earthquake drills are a once-a-year chance for everyone to practice `drop, cover, and hold on’ and learn other earthquake

safety tips.”

The ShakeOut website indicated that as of Oct. 7, 9.6 million Californians were slated to participate in the drill. During last year’s event, about 10.2 million statewide registered to take part.

The exercises began in 2008.

In Riverside County, 619,911 people have registered so far for the drill.

Municipalities whose local government employees will be involved include Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Norco, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Riverside and Temecula.

Multiple Riverside County agencies are also

signed up, including the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder’s Office, Emergency Management Department and Parks & Open Space District.

College of the Desert, La Sierra University, Norco College and Riverside City

College will also join the drill. Most kindergarten through 12th grade school districts countywide, along with private and charter schools, will have students and staff participating.

According to ShakeOut.

org, the objective is to emphasize precautions during a magnitude 7.8 or larger quake along the southernmost portion of the San Andreas fault.

Officials believe that such a tectonic shift could produce waves of movement for hundreds of miles, over four minutes. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, some 2,000 people would die, tens of thousands would be injured and more than $200 billion in damage would result. The cataclysm would have 50 times the intensity of the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake.

Hundreds of aftershocks would ensue — a few of them nearly as big as the original quake, according to the USGS.

The drill in 2019 came just over three months after the early July quakes that struck Ridgecrest. The 6.4 and 7.1 magnitude shakers caused significant damage to roads and structures in the hamlet, which lies just south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following a major disaster. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications, food and enough water for each member of a household to drink one gallon per day, according to local and state officials.

Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in their residences in case of leaks.

Felon who ignited fire in Menifee department store headed to prison

Afelon who ignited a blaze in a Menifee Target store, causing significant damage, was bound for state prison Tuesday to serve a 23-year sentence after pleading guilty to several charges.

Abel Arizmendi Jr., 31, of Lake Elsinore, on Oct. 7 admitted one count of arson to a structure and a sentence-enhancing

allegation of perpetrating arson in an area under a previously declared state of emergency as part of a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors dropped a charge of aggravated arson, as well as three unrelated counts stemming from a separate case, in exchange for Arizmendi’s admissions.

During a hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Superior Court Judge John Monterosso certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense. He signed the prison commitment order Tuesday morning.

According to Cal Fire, on the morning of Jan. 22,

rable product was not of similar design and quality,” according to an agency statement. “Also, the ‘strike-through’ advertised reference price on sales tags was allegedly used to indicate a bargain price, even where the advertised former price was not an actual former price.” Lamps Plus admitted no wrongdoing under the terms of the civil settlement. In addition to the payouts, the agreement stipulates that Lamps Plus will be prohibited from advertising price match guarantees that could make the company’s “price protection guarantee policy” in any way misleading, prosecutors said.

2023, Arizmendi used an unspecified ignition device to set a trash receptacle ablaze in the men’s department of the Target at 30340 Haun Road.

“The fire started in the trash can and quickly spread to nearby clothing and parts of the building, resulting in substantial damage,” according to an agency statement.

Multiple engine and truck crews were sent to the location and spent several hours knocking down the blaze. No one was injured.

“The cost of the lost inventory, damage to the interior of the building and restoration equaled $11.7 million and took several months to repair,” Cal Fire reported.

A possible motive was

not provided.

Cal Fire arson investigators spent roughly a week gathering evidence that ultimately pointed to Arizmendi as the perpetrator, resulting in his arrest on Jan. 31, 2023. Court records show he has prior convictions for felony evading, assault with a deadly weapon and auto theft.

| Photo courtesy of Minnaert/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Fire ants. | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
ShakeOut participants practice the “drop, cover and hold on” technique underneath a table. | Photo courtesy of the Southern California Earthquake Center

Venue management veteran John Bolton hired as Plaza Theatre GM

The Palm Springs Plaza TheatreFoundation on Tuesday announced the hiring of John Bolton as the senior vice president and general manager of the eponymous venue.

Bolton is currently senior vice president at Oak View Group, the management company contracted by the foundation to oversee aspects of running the historic building. His experience with the Theatre as the OVG representative of the foundation’s board made him an ideal candidate, officials said.

He will keep his board position as an ex-officio member while serving in the new role.

“We could not be more thrilled about John’s selection,” Foundation president J.R. Roberts said. “I have had the good fortune to work with John as a Foundation board

member and I know he is deeply committed to ensuring that the Plaza Theatre will be an important cultural venue for the entire Coachella Valley.”

Bolton’s venue management experience includes an OVG position to oversee the construction and opening of Acrisure Arena, for which the Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce granted him a President’s Award, as well as the launch of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, who play their home games in the stadium. His resume also includes positions within the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau and Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, on which he currently serves.

He has also held leadership roles for the International Association of Venue Managers and International

“This

Eric Clapton will perform atAcrisureArena Thursday,supported by guest performer Jimmie Vaughan. With 18 Grammy awards across multiple groups and an illustrious solo career, Clapton was named the second-greatest guitarist of

students — especially when diagnosing and fixing issues under the hood of automobiles.”

While taking online courses for a degree in social and criminal justice with the intention of becoming a probation officer, Mauger discovered he had an interest in child development. He began his education career working with emotionally disturbed students, but Mauger’s “lifelong passion for hands-on work and mechanical repair, passed down from his father, led to earning a career and technical education credential,” according to the Office of Education.

“Bob’s expertise in restoring cars has led to the restoration of the automotive technology program at Corona High School, which is not only preparing students with tech-

statement. “We could not be more excited to have John Bolton at the helm.”

The Plaza Theatre is in the midst of a major restoration project. The venue, which opened in 1936, was the site of film premieres, national radio broadcasts, the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies until it closed in 2014.

For five years, the building lay in disrepair until Palm Springs began a restoration campaign. Fundraising was in its early stages when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing activity to cease, according to officials.

Fundraising efforts re-ignited in October 2021 when David Lee — a co-creator of the Emmy-winning 19932004 NBC comedy “Frasier” — donated $5 million to the project, half of the project’s

Eric Clapton takes the stage at Acrisure Arena

all time by Rolling Stone in 2011. Clapton has been performing since 1963, when he joined an English R&B band named “The Yardbirds.”

Since then, he’s contributed 23 songs that charted on the Billboard Top 100 as a solo artist, with several more as

part of larger groups along the way.

The London-born guitarist gained notoriety across decades with hits such as “Tears in Heaven,” “Cocaine,” Wonderful Thursday evening and Layla.

His 1992 recording “Unplugged” reached RIAA-

certified Diamond status and remains the highest-selling live album of all time.

Vaughan is a music legend in his own right, a veteran guitarist and singer and a founding member of “The Fabulous Thunderbirds.” He’s the older brother of the late blues guitarist Stevie Ray

Top teacher

nical skills, but with life skills like confidence, a strong work ethic, and how to be a good human.”

Mauger’s fellow teachers describe him as “a consummate professional with the desire to make his auto technology classes not only industry standard — but the best in the nation,” according to the Office of Education. Another colleague said Mauger’s “high core values and excellent communication skills have led to his auto shop becoming a platform for connecting students to learning.”

Mauger has a bachelor’s degree in social and criminal justice with a minor in child development from Ashford University and a master’s in teaching and learning from Brandman University.

The Office of Education

provided this list of Riverside County teachers who preceded Mauger as state teachers of the year:

- 2022 – Nichi Aviña, Cielo Vista Charter School, Palm Springs USD

- 2021 – Keisa Brown, University Heights Middle School, Riverside USD, and Allison Cyr, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School, Desert Sands USD

- 2020 – Brenda ChavezBarreras, Good Hope Elementary School, Perris ESD

- 2019 – Dr. Angel Mejico, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD

- 2018 – Dr. Brian McDaniel, Painted Hills Middle School, Palm Springs USD

- 2017 – Shaun Bunn, Ethan A. Chase Middle School, Romoland School District

- 2016 – Michelle

Cherland, Carrillo Ranch Elementary School, Desert Sands USD

- 2014 – Jessica Pack, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD County education departments submit nominees for the California Teachers of the Year Program via countylevel competitions. California Department of Education selection committees review applications from counties, then evaluate teachers’ rapport with students, classroom environments, presentation skills and teaching techniques and interview teachers.

The superintendent of public instruction selects the state’s five teachers of the year and the National Teacher of the Year nominee.

Thurmond nominated Matthew Winheim, a middle

needed $10 million. “I couldn’t ask for a cooler experience in a community that I love dearly,” Bolton said in a statement. “The Plaza Theatre’s restoration is not just about preserving history, it is about revitalizing our community and improving the quality of life by providing a welcoming space for the arts to thrive.”

When it becomes operational, Plaza Theatre will accommodate 135,000 patrons annually, generating over $40 million in incremental spending and creating $4 million in direct economic impact to the city, officials estimate.

Foundation officials say their goal is to reopen the Theatre in fall 2025.

More information about the Plaza Theatre restoration effort is available at savetheplazatheatreps.com.

Vaughan.

Vaughan is joining Clapton for the second of three Southern California legs of his tour, between concerts in San Diego’s Pechanga Arena on Tuesday and the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday.

After the latter performance, he’s included in an

all-star lineup at next Thursday’s “Life Is a Carnival,” a tribute show to Indigenous Canadian musician Robbie Robertson at the Kia Forum. Robertson, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who died in 2023, was once Bob Dylan’s guitarist and composed music for four Martin Scorsese films.

school STEM aviation and mathematics teacher at Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy in the Palmdale Unified School District, to represent California in the National Teacher of the Year competition this spring.

The three other state honorees are Kristen LoPrell, a mathematics and AP calculus teacher at Grossmont High School in the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego County; Nicholas Westfall, a physical education teacher at Alexander Hamilton Senior High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District; and Arby Jean Wolkov, an American Sign Language teacher at William Howard Taft Charter High School in the LAUSD.

More information on the award program is avail-

able online at the California Teachers of the Year web page.

Riverside County teachers of the year are chosen from nearly 20,000 educators who participate in an application process requiring them “to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy,” according to the Office of Education. Teachers of the year first must be nominated by teachers, principals and school district administrators. Applications go to the Office of Education, and a selection committee reviews the applications chooses semifinalists. The selection committee then does interviews and site visits at schools to select the final four honorees, leading to the superintendent’s announcements of the finalists.

Association of Entertainment Buyers.
city asset will also be a key element in Palm Springs’
thriving downtown, as well as our rich arts and culture offerings,” Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein said in a
John Bolton. | Photo courtesy of the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation

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