the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles this week is immeasurable The battle against the flames in the face of challenging winds is ongoing with firefighters putting themselves in harm’s way for hours on end The city of Gardena has obviously been a safe distance from the flames though it was under a Red Flag Warning for the first couple of days as the firefighters attempted to get some kind of control over the two major fires when an evacuation warning was erroneously sent out to all of L.A with the Gardena Police Department stating the LA County Fire Department sent an incorrect emergency alert message with an ‘Evacuation Warning.’ The alert is not specific to the City of Gardena and there currently is no evacuation order in the city.” “The Gardena Police Department sends heartfelt prayers and concerns to the communities that have been devastated by the recent fires,” wrote GPD Chief Mike Saffell “To update our Gardena community on the fire events occurring to communities north of us the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has requested the assistance of the National Guard to provide critical infrastructure protection and traffic control to areas in and around the fires There are plans to implement a curfew in those specific areas as well.” “Announcements regarding the locations of the curfews and specific evacuation areas will be provided and updated by LASD,” he continued there are no evacuation orders for the City of Gardena The evacuation warning that our Gardena community received earlier today was sent to the entire county there are no current evacuation orders for Gardena The Gardena Police Department is fully staffed to deal with any eventualities and is prepared to assist any of our surrounding communities.” were closed on Thursday and Friday last week though most were open again on Monday morning (with the obvious exception of those in evacuation areas) Anyone with questions or needing information should visit and/or subscribe to: https://lafd.org/alerts; Alert SouthBay: https://alertsouthbay.com; https://lacounty.gov/emergency the Carson/Gardena Animal Care Center posted that “Due to the ongoing Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County the following shelters are available for animals affected by the evacuation orders Please note capacity details and staffing information Large Animals: Lancaster Animal Care Center 5210 W Ave I CA 93536; Antelope Valley Fair 2551 W Avenue H CA 93536; Industry Hills Expo 16200 Temple Ave CA 91744; Capacity for 200 horses; not staffed by DACC; Pomona Fairplex 1101 W Mckinley Ave “Small Animals: Baldwin Park Animal Care Center 4275 Elton St CA 91706; Carson Animal Care Center 216 W Victoria St CA 90248; Downey Animal Care Center 11258 Garfield Ave CA 90242; Lancaster Animal Care Center 5210 W Ave I CA 93536; Palmdale Animal Care Center 38550 Sierra Hwy approximately 105,000 people remained under evacuation orders in all the fire areas with about 87,000 under evacuation warnings Officials said the fire areas remain extremely unsafe Log in to leave a comment Independently owned single-screen cinemas are a dying breed increasingly scarce in this age of cineplexes and streaming services there’s only one family-owned single-screen cinema left in the county the last of its kind in the South Bay region The Gardena has a definite vintage feel to it, a quintessential movie house of the good old days It usually screens a wide repertoire of popular films to more modern fan-favorites such as Shrek and Twilight It also welcomes famous guests on occasion most often on Sunday afternoons and evenings general admission is usually between $12 and $15 Showtimes and online tickets can be found on Eventbrite crumbling 110-year-old theater retains the authentic retro charms of Showa-era cinema single-screen cinema still puts a 1937 Compton organ to good use The last gas-lit cinema in the United Kingdom This century-old independent movie theater with an iconic Art Deco neon sign survived a devastating fire in 2016 A century-old historical movie theatre that plays a mix of independent and mainstream films This Art-Deco movie palace is the oldest independent cinema in Atlanta This New England drive-in was built to straddle the border between two states Markets and festivals take place at this former home of a 1,500-seat theater This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page At its meeting on January 14 the Gardena City Council signed off on plans to redevelop a warehouse just north of Artesia Boulevard with a combination of apartments and townhomes The Normandie Crossing development, which comes from Saiko Investment Corporation and NextGen Apartments would rise from a property located at 16911 S plans call for the construction of a new five-story building featuring 258 studio and two-bedroom apartments - including seven moderate-income units - with parking for 416 vehicles plans call for 75 three-story townhomes in three- and four-bedroom floor plans each with a two-car garage at street level Urban Architecture Lab is designing the apartments and townhomes which are shown in plans with amenities including courtyards Discretionary entitlements required for Normandie Crossing included a zone change and general plan amendment The project has been pared back from what Saiko had initially pitched for the property in 2023 when the apartment building was envisioned as a taller seven-story structure with a total of 328 residential units the revised scope left the number of townhomes unchanged Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram / Bluesky 2025An overturned big rig carrying coconut oil shut down the southbound 110 Freeway transition to the eastbound 91 Freeway Monday afternoon (KABC) -- An overturned big rig carrying coconut oil shut down the southbound 110 Freeway transition to the eastbound 91 Freeway for several hours in Gardena Monday The incident was reported at around 12:30 p.m after the semi truck apparently lost control and crashed into the center divider That is when the semi truck overturned on its side and spilled coconut oil on the road The driver was able to get out of the semi truck The SigAlert was lifted at around 8:30 p.m. about 8 hours after the incident was reported The City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday January 14 started with a lengthier closed session than usual City Attorney Carmen Vasquez announced details of an investigation involving Council Member Wanda Love and two City employees Item 2B saw Love recuse herself while the other four members – Mayor Tasha Cerda and Council Members Mark Henderson and Paulette Francis – were all present to waive the attorney client privilege and read the executive summary That executive summary stated that the City had retained attorney Jeff Love to investigate concerns regarding the conduct of Council Member Wanda Love towards two City employees This investigation aimed to determine whether Council Member Love’s action constituted inappropriate behavior and considered findings from a prior inquiry involving one of the employees.” It continued with  findings regarding employee number one “The investigation substantiated allegations that Council Member Love unfairly criticized employee one in connection with two City projects – The Willows Wetland Grant Project and the demolition of the Chase Bank building the Council Member criticized employee one alleging failures in stakeholder communication the evidence demonstrated that employee one had complied with all applicable protocols and Council Member Love’s complaints were unfounded.” “With regards to the Chase Bank demolition Council Member Love alleged inadequate neighbor notification and dust mitigation efforts,” it continued “The investigation found that employee one adhered to all legal requirements and implemented appropriate measures to mitigate dust including fencing and water-based controls The investigation identified a pattern of tension resulting from employee one’s refusal to comply with Council Member Love’s request to prioritize specific contractors for City projects Employee one’s adherence to established procurement rules and the failure to route operational concerns through the appropriate supervisory channels appeared to contribute to the concerns.” That was followed with findings regarding employee number two “The investigation also substantiated allegations regarding Council Member Love’s conduct towards employee number two during a City event The Council Member expressed dissatisfaction with the placement of her booth at the event perceiving it as less favorable compared to another elected official’s booth Council Member Love made statements suggesting that she would raise the issue during a public meeting which employee two reasonably interpreted as a potential threat to their job security.” “The investigation found that Council Member Love’s remarks were inappropriate and caused employee two undue apprehension the investigation revealed a pattern of Council Member Love bypassing appropriate channels for addressing operational concerns,” it continued “Instead of engaging through supervisory structures Council Member Love directly communicated with staff and occasionally involved other City officials in a manner inconsistent with City protocols.” “The investigation concluded that Council Member Love’s conduct towards both employees was inappropriate and substantiated the allegations,” it stated which included unfounded criticisms and targeting of employees created unnecessary strain and undermined the ability of City staff to perform their duties effectively the City has spent approximately $20,000 in the investigation.” The GVN reached out to Council Member Love after the meeting and she told us that the statements read out were “definitely inaccurate.” She said that the accusations are a lie and that she has issues with the competency of some of the staff “I questioned how many contracts have been awarded by a certain department to people of color,” Love said “I should have used the term ‘disadvantaged minority-owned businesses,’ but I said ‘people of color.’ However that person said that I had told him to hire people of color Council Member Love said that she would still like an answer to that question Love said that council members never had booths at city events prior to her being elected to the council Love started having booths in order to engage with constituents some of them started having booths of their own and the booths of Love and also Council Member Paulette Francis would be placed in an unfavorable location for the report from closed session to be read during the public part of the meeting Love feels that was done to attack her character Log in to leave a comment 2024Firefighters were battling a fire that broke out on some bleachers at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena Wednesday morning.GARDENA (KABC) -- Firefighters battled a fire that broke out on what appeared to be some bleachers at a high school in Gardena Wednesday morning at Junipero Serra High School on Van Ness Avenue AIR7 was over the scene where a section of bleachers and a possible press box were engulfed in flames Firefighters were trying to stop the fire from spreading into what was believed to be the locker rooms just behind 2025A 70-year-old military veteran was killed in a hit-and-run in Gardena A $50,000 reward is being offered as authorities search for the suspect.GARDENA (KABC) -- A 70-year-old military veteran was killed in a hit-and-run in Gardena Police are asking for the public's help to track down the driver according to the Los Angeles Police Department The driver of that vehicle left the scene without stopping or attempting to help A $50,000 reward is being offered to anyone who has information that leads to the arrest of the driver responsible Students from a local charter school and possibly public schools march through the city of Gardena on Monday in protest of the new administration’s immigration bills that will deport illegal immigrants from the U.S Opponents to President Trump’s enforcement of immigration directives have sparked protests across the nation about 100 students voiced their feelings against the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers crackdowns Trump’s executive orders include birthright citizenship expanding ICE’s reach and cancelling legal immigration paths Log in to leave a comment “Amazing fire department response to keep it contained,” Altenberg said. Classes were canceled. The fire was reported around 5:35 a.m. Altenberg said, visually, the press box “does not look like it’s usable.” But additional damage was limited because of the quick response by firefighters. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column. High School Sports Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. However, officials called a roughing-the-kicker penalty on the field goal. Gardena coach Monty Gilbreath had a choice to make. He accepted the penalty, continuing the drive that ultimately stalled without a score. The Panthers never recovered offensively Friday night. Carson took down Gardena 23-7 at home, dealing the Panthers (7-1, 1-1) their first loss of the seasonin the Marine League game. Carson held Gardena scoreless on offense while the Colts (5-3, 2-0) tallied less than 100 yards on offense themselves. “We haven’t played great — overall — a lot of times, and we did some things wrong tonight too,” Carson coach Michael Christensen said. “But I was proud of how we kind of stayed after it and played physical on defense.” Colts sophomore quarterback Chris Fields III and senior running back Kameryn Hurst tallied rushing touchdowns to help put the Colts up 20-0 at halftime. Carson’s defense held Gardena standout running back Xavier Grant to just three yards in three carries. Senior running back Myles Mason — nursing an injury — only played defense for Gardena. Hurst ended the contest with 62 yards in 13 carries, playing through a banged-up ankle he picked up during a tackle in the first quarter. On defense — playing as a defensive back — he tallied an interception, one of three off Gardena quarterback Isaiah Kim. Hurst helped lead a Colts’ secondary that held the Panthers scoreless in the second half. Troy Taulua and Michael O’Dell had the other Carson interceptions. “We knew it was gonna be a very physical game, and we knew how their offense was from last year,” Hurst said about the Colts. “Our defense, we had to step up.” Gardena’s only points came from a Chace Johnson pick-six. Johnson left the game in the second quarter, when he was carted off the field — following Fields’ four-yard touchdown run — with an air cast on his left leg. Much like when he declined a field goal in favor of a penalty, Gilbreath said Gardena is declining to play against Narbonne next week — signaling another forfeit for The Times’ No. 1-ranked team in the City Section football rankings’ No. 1 team. Narbonne’s Marine League rivals have forfeited their games against the Gauchos over the last three weeks. The coaches — including Christensen and Gilbreath — alleged in a letter that Narbonne violated league rules. Neither the Los Angeles Unified School District nor City Section Commissioner Vicky Lagos have ruled on the allegations as of Friday night. When asked if next week’s matchup against Narbonne was still on or up in the air, Gilbreath said the game “was not up in the air.” In a follow-up question, when asked if that meant the game was not happening, he bluntly responded. Christensen struck a similar tone, deflecting a question about his team’s game against Narbonne in two weeks out. “Right now, our attention goes that we’re gonna enjoy [the win] for this next day and we’re gonna watch film tomorrow morning,” he said. USPS Employees Educate Residents about Dog Safety The postal team at the Gardena Post Office is hosting an event to help small business owners strengthen their business by utilizing postal products and services to innovate and grow through USPS shipping solutions Postal customers are invited to stop in and connect with Luwanda Smith Postmaster who will also offer any needed assistance with holiday shipping needs and ways to “skip” the line Postmaster Smith will be lending a helping hand in the post office lobby to meet and greet customers The postmaster and team will also offer needed assistance with Postal products and services business customers can use to help their businesses grow The event will offer local businesses and residents an opportunity to interact with the postal team and learn ways to grow their business The holiday season is a great time of the year to show new and existing customers the U.S Postal Service makes customer satisfaction priority number one 2024 USPS Holiday Shipping and Mailing Deadlines international and military shipping destinations to allow for the timely delivery of cards Items Sent to Addresses in the Contiguous United States (Lower 48 States): Items Sent to Addresses in Alaska and Hawaii: For customers sending packages internationally, or to military addresses, USPS suggests checking the complete list of recommended holiday mailing and shipping dates at usps.com/holidayshippingdates USPS Is Ready for the Peak Shipping Season A option this year is USPS Ground Advantage reliable and affordable way to ship packages with day certain delivery of  2-5 business days based on distance In addition to our convenient retail locations, customers can purchase their shipping labels, order Priority Mail packaging and schedule free carrier pick up via the Postal Service’s shipping platform  Click-N-Ship Customers using the platform will have access to Commercial Shipping Rates that will apply to all domestic package labels — making it easier for customers to ship their packages The Postal Service is ready to deliver for the holidays serving 169 million addresses across the country and covering every state Everyone living in the United States and its territories has access to postal products and services the Postal Service is the only delivery service that ships to APO More tools and tips to help customers prepare for the busy holiday season can be found in the USPS Holiday Newsroom The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America restore long-term financial sustainability dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage products and services to fund its operations Copyright© 2025 United States Postal Service At the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday Departmental Item 13A called for the adoption of Ordinance 1878 “Amending Section 18.08.010 of the Gardena Municipal Code Relating to Established Zones Amending the Gardena Zoning Map by Rezoning the 5.25 Acre Property Located at 16829 and 16907 South Normandie Avenue to Normandie Crossing Specific Plan Rezoning the 0.11 Acre Property located at 16964 Brighton Avenue to Single Family Residential Rezoning the 0.43 Acre Property located at the Eastern Edge of the Specific Plan Area to Official Approving the Normandie Crossing Specific Plan and Approving an Affordable Housing Agreement Relating to the Normandie Crossing Specific Plan.” This has been a hot button item with Gardena residents since plans for the 328-unit building were made public with many claiming that the large structure will be an eyesore many local construction workers spoke to say that they’d welcome to work in the area the Gardena City Council held a public hearing regarding Ordinance No which establishes the Normandie Crossing Specific Plan the City Council adopted three resolutions approving the project 1878 with the amendment to have the Development Agreement require a quarterly Local Supplier Report The ordinance is now being presented to the City Council for its second reading and adoption.” Mayor Pro Tem Rodney Tanaka and Council Member Mark Henderson voting in favor Council Members Paulette Francis and Wanda Love voted against Log in to leave a comment Council Member Wanda Love was formally censured at the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday January 28 after an external investigation concluded that she acted inappropriately towards two unnamed staff members Details of the investigation became known at the council meeting on Tuesday City Attorney Carmen Vasquez read a staff report stating that the City had retained attorney Jeff Love to investigate concerns regarding the conduct of Council Member Wanda Love towards two City employees and considered findings from a prior inquiry involving one of the employees and the demolition of the Chase Bank building,” the report stated “The investigation also substantiated allegations regarding Council Member Love’s conduct towards employee number two during a City event.” “definitely inaccurate.” At the January 28 meeting Love mentioned that her character was “under attack.” “That the intent and purpose of this Censure Resolution is to express the City Council’s opinion that Council Member Wanda Love engaged in unprofessional behavior toward certain City employees and it is not to be interpreted as a formal legal finding.” Love will have to complete three training sessions within 90 days of this resolution While the censure doesn’t remove Love from her elected position it does restrict her ability to perform her duties due to the following sections on the document: in her official capacity as a council member shall refrain from communicating with City staff Communications with the City Manager and Deputy City Clerk shall be in writing with the exception of during open and closed session city council meetings This action shall remain in place until a majority of the Council rescinds it; “That Council Member Wanda Love is suspended from her duties as a city council representative or alternate representative on outside and city committees “That Council Member Wanda Love is prohibited from city-paid travel trainings and other events where representation of the City is involved This action shall remain in place until a majority of the Council rescinds it.” Love and Council Member Paulette Francis voted against with Francis raising concerns about the broad nature of the accusations Council Member Love sent the GVN the following letter: I am writing to express my formal and unequivocal disagreement with the closed session report read during the Jan 2025 Gardena City Council meeting and the subsequent passage of Resolution No and Councilmember Mark Henderson amount to targeted harassment aimed at censoring me without affording me the due process to challenge accusations made against me The sanctions imposed—including stripping me of all city representation barring me from oral and email communication with city directors and staff and mandating three days of training—are excessive and punitive The claims and intent outlined in the resolution are baseless The accusations against me rely on an investigative report by Attorney Jeffrey Love which lacks publicly verifiable evidence and transparency The vague allegations of “unfounded criticisms and targeting” are unsupported by specific examples making them impossible to meaningfully dispute the investigative process raises serious concerns regarding impartiality and fairness appearing to reflect subjective conclusions rather than an objective assessment of facts Most troubling is the blatant violation of my due process rights I was not given a fair opportunity to review the evidence This resolution disregards fundamental principles of fairness and justice the vague language used in the resolution—such as “unprofessional behavior” and “unnecessary strain”—lacks clear definitions and invites subjective interpretation and misuse the Mayor and Councilmembers Tanaka and Henderson have directly impeded my ability to perform my elected duties The democratic principles of open debate and dissent are being undermined which fall within my responsibilities as an elected official were not rude or disrespectful and should not be weaponized as grounds for punitive action The sanctions outlined in Resolution 6692—including restrictions on communication and prohibition from city-funded travel—are excessive and unjustly hinder my ability to serve my constituents effectively This censure appears to be a retaliatory effort to silence my voice rather than address legitimate concerns A fairer and more constructive resolution should have been sought Mediation facilitated by the city manager could have been a reasonable step to address concerns and rebuild professional relationships clear guidelines should be established regarding interactions between council members and city staff to prevent future conflicts This resolution infringes upon my rights as a council member and threatens democratic governance and my ability to do my council duties in our city I regret that the mayor and councilmen chose to proceed with this punitive measure rather than prioritize fairness Log in to leave a comment Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt celebratesat the finish area of an alpine ski Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski celebrates on the podium with second-placed Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen and third-placed United States’ Ryan Cochran Siegle Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt listens to the national anthem on the podium after winning an alpine ski Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen speeds down the course during an alpine ski United States’ Ryan Cochran Siegle celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski United States’ Ryan Cochran Siegle speeds down the course during an alpine ski Italy (AP) — Marco Odermatt finally conquered the Saslong and the Swiss standout did it in style Odermatt put down what he called “one of my best” downhill runs on Saturday to win a World Cup race in Val Gardena as the three-time overall World Cup champion looked like back to his imperious best The 27-year-old beat Swiss teammate Franjo von Allmen by 0.45 seconds for his first victory at the resort in the Italian Dolomites Odermatt had had four podium finishes there — including in Saturday’s super-G — but had never been better than second It was Odermatt’s 40th World Cup victory but only his third in downhill “It was one of my best downhills,” Odermatt said you need the perfect run and today already on the top I could ski very well and finally I also jumped well It had also been a less than stellar start to the season for Odermatt — by his lofty standards — and he yelled out in joy several times after crossing the line before taking off his skis and raising them up and letting out another long shout Before Odermatt came down it had been an incredibly tight race American skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished third with Nils Allègre of France missing out on what would have been only his second ever podium finish by one hundredth of a second It was Cochrane-Siegle’s third podium after also finishing third in Val Gardena four years ago and winning the super-G in Bormio 10 days later “Gardena is a really challenging hill to ski I’ve had runs here where I thought I’d put down a good one so you really never know until you cross the finish line “I was just focusing on trying to carry speed as much as possible When I ski my best I do that — keeping skiing really simple Odermatt won the downhill World Cup title last season The only previous downhill this season was in Beaver Creek where Odermatt finished second to teammate Justin Murisier Odermatt moved 78 points above Murisier in the downhill standings and 50 points above Henrik Kristoffersen in the overall The circuit moves to nearby Alta Badia where there is a giant slalom on Sunday and a slalom the following day (KABC) -- A 16-year-old boy who went missing in the Gardena area last month has been found dead walking in the 15800 block of South Vermont Avenue The LAPD said he suffered from unspecified medical conditions Police said Sunday that Tahir was found dead City News Service contributed to this report Gardena singer and performer Divighn lit up season 27 episode three of reality TV/musical competition show The Voice last week The 33-year-old artist performed James Brown’s soul classic “I Got You (I Feel Good),” impressing the four judges–John Legend Bublé and recent cast addition Ballerina were the first to push the famous buttons and turn around to see Divighn dance “From the first note I had goosebumps,” said Ballerina “In his wide-brimmed hat and two-toned jacket “His vocal technique is a bit Little Richard “Nicknamed ‘Divine Devaughn’ by his sister Divighn grew up as the youngest of nine musical siblings in a household filled with harmonies and melodies,” he writes in his online bio he joined his three youngest siblings to form The Anointed Rose Buds an a cappella group that recorded an album and performed across Los Angeles churches This early experience gave him the confidence to audition for Broadway’s The Lion King at age 12 landing the role of young Simba—only to have his dreams temporarily paused after breaking his arm the day he received the congratulatory call.” Divighn serves as the lead singer of the Soto Band captivating audiences with four live performances weekly across East Los Angeles,” he continues he channels his passion for health and wellness as a dedicated health coach empowering others to achieve their fitness goals whom he helped lose 25 pounds in just two months while she was on bed rest—a testament to his holistic approach to transformation.” Divighn is certainly one to watch this season and one would think that Gardena will be rooting for him Log in to leave a comment In Gardena wood framing has reached its peak for a new multifamily residential development just south of SpaceX headquarters The Apollo development, a joint venture from Cityview and Stockbridge, sits just south of El Segundo Boulevard at 12888 S. Crenshaw Boulevard The eight-story building will feature 265 studio and two-bedroom apartments above podium parking for 250 vehicles when it opens AC Martin is designing the complex which is shown in a rendering as a contemporary podium-type building Plans call for amenities including a pool deck A similar development was completed one block north in the City of Hawthorne in 2021 Item 13A saw the Gardena Economic Business Advisory Commission (GEBAC) call for “the City Council [to] review and approve the Facade Improvement program guidelines and the color palette for the Gardena Boulevard Revitalization.” the City Council reviewed and approved GEBAC’s recommendations for a Façade Improvement Conceptual Design and Program for the revitalization of Gardena Boulevard the Council also directed GEBAC to draft guidelines for implementing the Façade Improvement Conceptual Design program.” The facade improvement programs include paint A presentation revealed the color palette to be a brown/beige and that didn’t impress Council Members Paulette Francis and Wanda Love “a modification to a conditional use permit for an existing high school located within the R-1 zone; Site Plan Review #1-24 for the demolition of a 9,036 SF building and proposing a new 7,500 SF facility in its place; and an Administrative Adjustment to the off- street parking requirements for a 12% reduction in the number of required spaces for the existing high school located at 2818 Manhattan Beach Blvd.” “The proposed project is being considered for a categorical exemption from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Guideline Sections 15302 and 15303 as a Replacement of an Existing Structure and New Construction of Small Structure project.” There’s some controversy surrounding Item 13C though the State mandated that the city has to allow “non-storefront retail medical cannabis delivery services businesses in the M-1 and M-2 zoning districts.” but ultimately the council had little choice and the item passed unanimously Log in to leave a comment After an external investigation concluded that Council Member Wanda Love acted inappropriately towards two unnamed staff members she was formally censured at the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday “The accusations against me rely on an investigative report by Attorney Jeffrey Love The vague allegations of ‘unfounded criticisms and targeting’ are unsupported by specific examples making them impossible to meaningfully dispute.” Mayor Tasha Cerda spoke to the GVN this past week In regards to the council members minus Love voting 3-1 in favor of reading out the findings from Closed Session during the public part of the meeting (Council Member Paulette Francis being the one nay vote) “I’m not saying that this is something that the council normally does as far as taking a vote to read the comments out Is this something that is to be read out or not and because this kind of behavior has been going on for some time now and because of the fact that we had to spend $20,000 of taxpayers money I thought it was important that they understand So this is part of just being fair and transparent.” I made a directive that we have put on the agenda because it’s important again for our employees as well as the community to know that as elected officials we need to be accountable for our actions,” Cerda continued “And this is just what it costs for the investigator that’s not including the three training classes that have to be taken to be sued by these employees if they choose to So there’s still more money that could be spent as a result of this here So when we decided to move forward with the censure it was three training classes [teaching] how to handle situations better.” Love would no longer be able to attend her regular conferences “The City won’t pay for it as it relates to the registration and this was probably the most important thing as elected officials: If we have any issues or concerns it is never our job to go to any staff member or director and try to chastise them or question them All of our communication should be directed to the City Manager or the City Attorney because that’s just not what our role is the last part of the censure states that that she is not to talk to any director or staff member and then I’ve made an exception and said HR and our secretary so that they she could get whatever information she needed had any other Council Member behaved the same way “And here’s the other side of it–if we have any employees or directors that say that they feel that something’s been done wrong and they bring it to our attention right away my first phone call is to the City Attorney and the City Manager this is California state law–it’s for their protection as well as ours.” We put it to Mayor Cerda that there has been tension between Love and the other sitting members of the council (with the exception of Francis) from the moment that Love was sworn in “Prior to Council Member Love joining the City Council there were a lot of awkward situations that she caused as a President or the head person of the Chamber of Commerce,” Cerda said but her actions were so rude to our staff members that we just couldn’t have that I had hoped that when she came on our council it was a fresh opportunity to start new with the council members Council Member Love made it very clear in the very beginning I’m not well liked,’ and that’s not true her social media postings have been making wild accusations I don’t know anything about her personal business So it’s a weird thing of trying to play the victim.” Love was democratically chosen for the council and the council members will have to continue to work together for the good of the City of Gardena it’s unlikely that Love will be voted Mayor Pro Tem any time soon there’s not been an order for every member of the Council to have that position,” Cerda said you’re nominated by a council member we’re five different people with our own individual ideas and aspirations and experiences we should at least be able to be cordial with each other and just have basic conversation ‘I’m not on this council to make friends.’ That’s not a prerequisite to be voted as Mayor Pro Tem But her actions are so ugly towards the rest of us that I don’t think anybody maybe with the exception of Council Member Francis If I’m not around you fill in for me and some of the actions that she’s done where she’s tried to tear the city apart the way she’s talked about other elected officials and staff I don’t see right now that I would feel comfortable with her representing me when I’m not around.” the council organized assignments to redistribute those that Love would now no longer be able attend Log in to leave a comment In Gardena, framing is complete, and the stucco exteriors have been revealed for the latest development of townhomes G3 Urban. Marine Place, located from a previously vacant lot at 2545 Marine Avenue is a series of three-story structures which feature 22 two- with floor plans ranging from 1,281 to 1,917 square feet in size KTGY is designing the homes which closely resemble conceptual renderings Each house includes parking on the ground floor and a rooftop deck According to the G3 Urban website the Marine Place townhomes are already sold out Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram Brian Gutierrez, a 27-year-old Gardena native, discharged a high-powered green laser at the helicopter during the early hours of Feb. 8, police said. Officers spotted a developing street takeover at the intersection of Alondra Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in Gardena around 12:25 a.m. with about 50 vehicles and pedestrians blocking the roadway. Gutierrez allegedly pointed the laser upward while the officers scoped the area. LAPD said the helicopter pilot and tactical flight officer took immediate action to avoid the laser strikes while maintaining visual contact with the suspect. Officers allege Gutierrez fled the area, entering through a backyard of a property on the 15800 block of Berenado Avenue in Gardena. Street Racing Task Force units responded to the location and found Gutierrez hiding in a detached structure. Authorities found a black cylindrical laser pointer in the front yard of the property, and identified it as the device aimed at officers. Gutierrez was arrested, and positively identified by the tactical flight officer. California A drone that authorities say was flying in restricted airspace on Jan 9 put a fist-sized hole in the wing of a Super Scooper “While pointing a laser at a helicopter may seem harmless the actions of this individual are both illegal and dangerous,” said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell “Discharging a laser at an aircraft can blind the pilot putting the lives of our officers and the public at risk The quick response of the Street Racing Task Force and our Air Support Division ensured the safety of our team the public and led to the successful apprehension of the suspect.” Gutierrez was booked on a state charge of discharging a laser at an aircraft in motion County district attorney’s office charged him with three felony counts: two for assault on an peace officer and one for discharging the laser Gutierrez could face up to four years in prison Discharging a laser at an aircraft is punishable by up to three years in jail or a $2,000 fine Gutierrez could also be arrested on a federal charge, according to LAPD. The U.S. attorney’s office is considering a federal filing under a statute that deems aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft a federal crime. This crime is punishable by a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. Jasmine “Jaz” Mendez is an editorial assistant at the Los Angeles Times. She previously was a reporting intern for the Metro Desk, covering housing in Los Angeles. Mendez graduated from Cal State Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in Spanish-language journalism. Politics Climate & Environment The Marine League boys’ basketball season was to begin on Jan but due to the Palisades and Eaton Fires that destroyed thousands of homes and other structures and causing extremely dangerous air quality due to the smoke throughout virtually all the greater Los Angeles area all CIF-Los Angeles City Section and several Southern Section games were postponed Gardena High’s boys’ team was finally able to begin Marine play at San Pedro on Jan but the contest was moved up a day to Thursday due to various activities at San Pedro High The Panthers lost that league opener to the Pirates 67-62 and came away with its first Marine win at 46-30 Willie Denham led Gardena (10-11 overall and 1-1 in league) with 17 points in its win over the Pilots Denham led all scorers with 26 points in the Panthers’ loss to San Pedro Much of that game was a see-saw battle with GHS grabbing a 12-10 first quarter lead but the Pirates let loose for 21 second period points to 12 for the Panthers for a 31-24 halftime advantage Gardena fought back to tie the game midway in the third quarter but fell behind by five (51-46) at the end of the period San Pedro led by as many as 10 points before the Panthers attempted a rally only to fall short “We played hard but we blew some defensive assignments,” Gardena head coach Ernie Carr said “The fires (in Palisades and Altadena) didn’t help us.” Elijah Perkins added 12 points for the Panthers Showcase at Providence High in Burbank and defeated North Hollywood High 60-51 After hosting Rancho Dominguez Prep from Long Beach on Wednesday the Panthers will have back-to-back games against Carson beginning at home on Friday and at Carson next Monday Gardena visits Narbonne next Wednesday at 6 p.m North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team showed down at cross town rival Torrance High last Friday as the Saxons were able to pull out a 68-63 win over the Tartars which was enjoying a very good season by winning 17 of its first 20 games before it fell at West Torrance 49-44 on Jan North grabbed a slim 14-13 lead after the first quarter but the Tartars bounced back for a 29-27 halftime lead behind a buzzer beating three-point basket by Cash Correa North managed to outscore Torrance 41-34 to improve its Pioneer League record to 3-1 “We didn’t fight as hard in the first half,” North head coach Wai Sett said “We fought for the ball better in the second half It’s a very competitive and balanced league.” The Saxons’ balanced scoring attack was led by senior guard Kole Tanaka-Lee with 15 points Leading Torrance was Elias Emerson with 17 points as Timothy Umbargar and Shane Stanfield each chipped in 12 North defeated the Eagles 52-40 in a league game the Saxons lost to Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 63-47 After playing Bellflower High in a Martin Luther King the Saxons return to league at South Torrance Friday at 7 p.m North visits West Torrance next Tuesday at the same time Torrance hosted El Segundo last Tuesday and visits South Torrance next Tuesday at 7 p.m Young Cavs still struggle in league; defeat Lancaster in competitive contest Serra High’s boys’ basketball team continued to struggle through the rigorous Del Rey League with three more defeats last week The first two were against rivals Playa del Rey St 13 and on the road against Bishop Montgomery in Torrance on Jan It started when the Cavaliers were dominated by the Vikings who have an unbeaten 5-0 record after a key win over powerhouse Downey St the Cavaliers played a good defensive game but its offense could not muster much in a 54-30 loss Showcase game Saturday at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster Serra managed to top Lancaster 60-53 behind a triple-double from Jermiah Graham Khary Wilder added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds the Cavaliers (11-11 overall and 0-6 in league) are at St North Torrance High’s girls’ basketball team took control of the Bay League lead with wins over hosts Redondo and Peninsula High in Rolling Hills Estates last week the Lady Saxons ended the Sea Hawks’ 22-game Bay League winning streak with a 52-45 win North had little trouble with the Panthers in a 68-33 victory Kaimi Santiago led the Saxons with 17 points Santiago had 23 points in North’s win over Peninsula Sax Misnunu and Chloe Kim chipped in 11 and 10 points In a Mira Costa Showcase game last Saturday The Saxons will show down at Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach which is currently in second place in Bay action after downing Redondo 46-33 last Friday at Mira Costa North visits West next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m Serra’s girls’ basketball team split their two Camino Real League games last week At Cantwell-Sacred Heart High in Montebello last Thursday the Lady Cavaliers fell short of the Cardinals 45-44 the Cavaliers crushed Bishop Conaty-Loretto 77-8 Serra started out with a 30-0 shutout in the first quarter and led 49-2 at halftime The Cavaliers did not allow more than three points in each of the four periods Marijah Lewis led Serra (4-2 in league and 10-11 overall) with 21 points followed by Yve Young with 15 points and Jadah Foster with nine while Kaicia Snelson contributed 10 in the one-point loss to Cantwell-Sacred Heart Serra fell behind 28-12 at halftime but made a ferocious second half rally that included a 20-6 fourth quarter Paul (home last Monday and away on Tuesday) Serra visits Bishop Amat in La Puente today at 6 p.m CRL game against Ramona Convent from Alhambra next Tuesday Gardena High’s girls’ basketball team started out with a key 51-37 win over defending three-time Marine League champion San Pedro last Thursday but fell to Wilmington Banning 53-42 last Friday in home games The Lady Panthers hosted Rolling Hills Prep from San Pedro last Monday and visited Rancho Dominguez Prep in Long Beach on Wednesday Gardena visits Carson Friday and hosts the Colts next Monday in 4:30 p.m Marine games before hosting Narbonne next Wednesday at the same time Log in to leave a comment 2024·Alpine SkiingOdermatt roared to one of his greatest Downhill wins (AgenceZoom)Marco Odermatt (SUI/ Stöckli) has not had the perfect start to the 2024-25 season – struggling in the opening races of the winter and not quite looking his ruthless best even when he has been making podiums At the Downhill at Val Gardena on Saturday The defending Downhill and Overall champion triumphed for the first time on this piste putting down a virtually error free performance mastering the tricky mid-course turns and celebrating wildly at the finish It was a great day for the Swiss team overall Franjo Van Allmen (SUI/ Head) finished second (+0.45 behind) – a career best for the 23-year-old racer Ryan Cochrane-Siegle (USA/ Head) finished third on a course much loved by American racers (+0.46) Odermatt had finished third in the Super G at Val Gardena on Friday and had described it as “the hardest easy course” for him to make time: it lacks in technical turns for him to apply his Giant Slalom prowess to has a fiendish mid-section where holding the line is often the difference between victory and defeat putting on a vintage display similar to those he has shown over the last couple of seasons Asked whether this might be his best ever performance in the discipline it came close to Courchevel or Wengen last season “If you want to win a Downhill you need a perfect run Had he put in extra hours over the summer to perfect his technique I am still in the GS group,” said Odermatt we do a lot of work with testing the skis and making the skis fast Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA/ Rossignol) laboured on the mid section Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT/ Head) didn’t get away quickly enough the winner yesterday and fastest in Downhill training couldn’t gain speed over the vital sections If this is the start of Odermatt coming back into form he will take a lot of stopping in the Downhill Crystal Globe race again The Swiss team is bristling with talent at the moment and Franjo Van Allmen (SUI/ Head) is relishing being colleagues with Odermatt Allmen demonstrated that he is a real prospect back in January 2024 when he recorded third place in the Audi FIS World Cup Super G at Garmisch finishing second after setting the pace early thanks to a run full of Odermatt-like levels of aggression I was not expecting such a good race,” said Allmen a very young team but already so fast,” he said about Allmen “We are doing well and the young guns are coming kept steady mid course and then turned up the heat on the lower sections finishing just one hundredth of a second behind Allmen It was the USA racer’s third podium finish All of them have come in Italy: he won the Super G in Bormio in December 2020 and came third in the Val Gardena Downhill the same season “I’ve had runs here were I thought I’d put down a good one I was just focusing on trying to carry speed as much as possible “When I ski my best I do that – keeping skiing really simple “There’s an element of the right preparation The people here are great and it’s a special place.” As conditions improved radically later in the race several racers lower down the order threatened to make the podium: Martin Cater (SLO/ Salomon) Odermatt leads the Downhill standings after two of nine races this season His three-pronged defence of the Giant Slalom Super G and Downhill Crystal Globes continue on Sunday in the GS at Alta Badia Serra High’s young and inexperienced boys’ basketball team continued to struggle in the always rigorous Del Rey League with losses to Santa Fe Springs St the Cavaliers fought hard but fell short of the Swordsmen 54-48 Serra (8-9 overall and 0-3 in league) was led by Chinemerem Anyikwa with 16 points the Cavaliers were pitted against last season’s CIF-Southern Section Division IIAA champion St Anthony and the Saints continue their quest for another title Serra trailed 24-16 after the first quarter but St Anthony poured it on the Cavaliers over the rest of the game; especially in the second period that saw the Saints outscore Serra 31-8 for a 55-24 halftime lead Anthony continued to dominate the Cavaliers Serra had one player score in double figures in Graham with 14 points Anthony was led by Aman Haynes with 22 points Mikey Cortez contributed 19 points and Esien Wilson had 15 “We were tired,” Serra head coach De John Frazier said Paul and a game against Bernstein on Monday (Jan we stick to our principle and play with heart We’ll compete against everybody we play against.” the Cavaliers topped Bernstein from Hollywood 72-58 Graham also had eight rebounds and three steals The Cavaliers returned home to take on rival St Serra went on the road to face its other league rival on Wednesday before going to league power St The Cavaliers have a showcase (site unavailable) non-league game against Lancaster on Saturday at 9:50 a.m Monica in Santa Monica next Monday at 7 p.m Serra already lost its first Del Rey game to the Mariners 68-29 on Jan falls to West; fires cancel Gardena High School’s games North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team began the Pioneer League by rallying for a 55-54 home win over cross town rival South Torrance on Jan Ethan Edwards scored the winning basket on a lay-up with 23 seconds left in the game to pull the game out for the Saxons led North (11-9 overall and 1-1 in league) with 18 points and 11 rebounds who evened their Pioneer record to 1-1 and are 12-9 overall were led by Ben Heinemann with a game-high 24 points which is displaying a 17-3 overall record and 2-0 in league North will play Moreno Valley Rancho Verde in a non-league game Saturday at 9 a.m holiday weekend before returning to Pioneer at South on Jan Gardena had its Marine League games delayed due to postponements caused by the Los Angeles Fires mostly in Pacific Palisades and Altadena-Pasadena from the Eaton Canyon Fire 8 and host Narbonne last Friday but were called off due to the dangerous air quality caused by the fires Barring any further fires that could continue the very poor air quality the Panthers visited San Pedro on Wednesday and Banning in Wilmington on Friday at 4:30 p.m Gardena will travel to Providence High in Burbank for a non-league showcase game against North Hollywood on Saturday at 1 p.m before returning to Marine action at home against Rancho Dominguez Prep from Long Beach next Wednesday at 4:30 p.m North Torrance High’s girls’ basketball team is off to a 3-0 start in the Bay League after recording wins over Manhattan Beach Mira Costa and crosstown rival West Torrance in home games last week the Lady Saxons were impressive after routing a very good Mira Costa team 67-42 the Saxons were led by Keimi Santiago with 27 points Leila Fitzgerald recorded a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds North is currently tied for first place with Redondo as the Saxons showed down against the Sea Hawks (3-0 in league and 12-7 overall) last Tuesday North visits Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates Friday at 5 p.m before a showcase game (site unavailable) against Glendora Saturday at noon Serra is also 3-0 in the Camino Real League after nipping host Ramona Convent 36-35 last Friday in Alhambra Jaden Foster led the Lady Cavaliers with a game-high 22 points Joseph High from Lakewood last Tuesday and travel to Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary for a 7 p.m The Cavaliers host Bishop Conaty-Loretto from near Downtown Los Angeles Saturday at 3:30 p.m Gardena had both of its first two Marine League games slated at home against Carson on Jan 8 and on the road against Narbonne last Friday postponed due to the Los Angeles fires and smoke causing dangerous air quality Gardena was to host San Pedro on Wednesday and Wilmington Banning on Friday at 4:30 p.m The Panthers will play a Martin Luther King Day showcase game (site unavailable) against Rolling Hills Prep on Monday at 5 p.m before returning to Marine action at Rancho Dominguez Prep in Long Beach next Wednesday at 3:30 p.m Log in to leave a comment The Gardena Police Department released a statement last week to report that they had booked Marian James for Manslaughter following a traffic collision on the morning of Sunday “the Gardena Police Department responded to reports of a traffic collision involving two vehicles near the intersection of Van Ness Avenue and 135th Street,” the statement read officers located two vehicles that had just collided One driver was still in the vehicle but was unresponsive The Los Angeles County Fire Department arrived on scene to render aid and determined the unresponsive driver had succumbed to injuries suffered during the collision.” County Paramedics pronounced the victim deceased at the scene LAPD officers located and placed James under arrest outside of her home in the City of Los Angeles,” the report states “James was later booked at the Gardena Police Department for Manslaughter A preliminary investigation indicated James was traveling southbound on Van Ness Ave when she ran the red light at 135th Street which was traveling eastbound on 135th street The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin The collision is being investigated by the Gardena Police Department’s Traffic Bureau and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.” Log in to leave a comment The City of Gardena is hosting a Teen Night on Friday “The City of Gardena is hosting its 3rd annual Teen Night (ages 13 & Up) in partnership with Rainbow Services to spread awareness about Teen Dating Violence in the month of February,” the City says online we want to gather local teens to share resources and prevention lessons in relationships and self-esteem The night will promote healthy relationships and learning how to deal with cyber abuse If you aren’t ready for relationships that’s ok–you might have a struggling friend This is an event you don’t want to miss.” can “hang out in the lobby or enjoy some free time running errands is to help teens become their own relationship expert “Discover how to spot red flags and avoid toxic energies in your relationships,” the event reads “We’re also tips about self-love tips and how to enhance your confidence and help you embrace a positive self-image.” the Rainbow Services is also hosting a parent workshop “dedicated to learning and spreading awareness about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Parents/guardians will learn how to identify the red flags of dating abuse and how to support youth who are in abusive relationships Did you know one out three teens will be abused by a romantic partner they are dating before they are an adult Come learn the facts and learn how to develop a stronger relationship with your teen This event will be happening while Teen Night is happening next door.” The events both take place at the Nakaoka Community Center Log in to leave a comment By David Hosley(This is part of our ongoing series Lost Kinjo- a look at the more than 40 Japanese communities that disappeared after World War II It is supported by funding from the California Public Library Civil Liberties Project and the Takahashi Family Foundation.)   When Shohei Ohtani decided he wanted to play professional baseball in America that he signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Not far from Angels Stadium is the Gardena Valley home to two cities with the greatest percentage of residents of Japanese ancestry on the U.S Torrance is first in Japanese and Japanese American density and its neighbor Gardena is second.  You can bet “Shotime” has lots of fans in both places which trace their history back to the time the valley was a hotbed of berries and other fruits and vegetables that fed Southern California during boom times before and after World War I Gardena had the first Japantown in the valley places of worship and even a language school to serve Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals who make their homes in the area.  In the past few decades a number of Japanese corporations have located facilities in the Gardena Valley The Japanese culture is reflected in Gardena through dozens of businesses often in clusters and sometimes in entire malls.  In two blocks of South Western Avenue mochi sweets and traditional meals and beverages.  The residents of Japanese heritage join other Asian Americans to make up about a quarter of Gardena’s population.  African Americans are about 20% with a history of settlement that goes back at least 10,000 years Meiji Tofu specializes in fresh soy milk and tofu.  Its zaru-style or traditional Japanese tofu is made with a woven bamboo strainer as opposed to a mold and has many fans both vegan and non.  Customers are known to drive from all over Southern California for the high quality of its products.  Chikara Mochi’s artisans are hand making pristine treats whose beauty is matched by their flavor.  The storefront is nondescript but it’s hospital spotless inside with rows of intricately designed mochi and manju in display cases.  While the number of Japanese confectionaries is sadly shrinking in America Chikara is well supported by the locals who are willing to observe the family store’s policy of payment in cash only Across Western Avenue from the sweet shop is Azuma Japanese Restaurant featuring Izakaya style lunches and dinners.  Chicken katsu with curry sauce That’s comfort food for Japanese Americans who have been coming to Azuma for decades The depth of the current Japanese American community can be experienced in the Pacific Square Shopping Center on West Redondo Beach Boulevard.  It’s anchored by the Tokyo Central and Main store which includes a food court.  Owned by the Marukai Corporation it features Japanese products that range from basics like ramen and sushi to clothes and appliances.  The company has had a presence in the region since the 1960’s and calls itself the largest Japanese market in California Surrounding the mall’s anchor are Asian businesses which has been operated by members of the Yamashita family since 1977.  There’s even a hotel at one end of the mall Not far away is a unique setting for eating out—the Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop which is at once a time warp and the latest in fusion cuisine sometimes combined in the same dish.  How about fried rice spam?  Or Kalua pork and loco moco?  Eat the old-fashioned way at the counter or relax at tables at times filled with three generations of Japanese Americans who can trace their family roots in the Gardena Valley back a century or more Native American and Californio BeginningsThe initial human occupants of the valley were the Tongva who lived throughout what is now called the Los Angeles Basin and the nearby Channel Islands.  Initial contact with European explorers included Spanish sailors in the 1500’s and an overland expedition via Mexico in the 1700’s which resulted in a series of missions and the decimation and enslavement of the Tongva whom the Spanish called Gabrielinos after one of the missions.  Mexico took the missions from the Spanish in 1821 citizens and others soon arrived in increasing numbers.  The Spanish had established an agricultural economy and gave out land grants including one of 43,000 acres encompassing today’s Gardena Valley which is 10 miles southeast of Los Angeles International Airport and six miles inland from the Pacific Ocean That Spanish rancho was broken up over the years into smaller parcels and settlers came west after the Civil War until the remaining Native Americans and Mexicans became the minority.  Speculators divided one agricultural area into lots and thus a new town grew in the Gardena Valley.  A rail line further created commercial connection of the rural agricultural area to population centers in southern California by the 1890’s and raspberries grew particularly well in the Gardena area because of the soil being watered by the Dominguez Slough.  The Strawberry Park neighborhood got its name from its primary crop prune and harvest the nearly year-round production.  Starting in the 1890’s many of the laborers were Japanese immigrants Single men from southern Japan who sought higher wages travelled the Pacific Ocean to west coast ports and were paid about a dollar a day in California.  Joe Kobata left Wakayama in 1890 and took a ship from Kobe to Seattle with his final intended destination stated on a manifest as Los Angeles.  By 1905 he was living in Gardena had a family and was growing flowers.  Three generations would live there some of the immigrants saved enough money to enter arranged marriages.  By 1910 Los Angeles had the highest percentage of Japanese in the country its ranks bolstered by several thousand Nisei who fled San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.  Many chose to stay downtown in Little Tokyo or Boyle Heights but others lived near the berry fields of Gardena Valley Asahiko Sawada was not a typical immigrant laborer.  He arrived in 1901 at 26 leaving his wife back home on Kyushu Island.  His plan was to get work and send a portion of his pay to his spouse.  According to a magazine article and learned he was divorced in 1909.  But then working on railroads and in agriculture.  In 1918 Sawada started looking for an arranged marriage a woman in her mid-30’s from Kunamoto in southern Japan She had been an unwed mother as a teenager shaming her wealthy parents who dealt in the rice trade she was eager to start a new life.  Urako and Asahiko met for the first time when her ship arrived in San Francisco in early 1920 and they wound up in Southern California where he worked in the fields and they settled in Gardena Immigrant couples usually started families and those working in the valley helped Gardena grow by forming churches and sports teams.  Their children attended public schools; their regular school days augmented by Japanese classes paid for by their parents.  Founded in 1912 Moneta Gakkuen was more than just a language school.  It also transmitted the culture of Japan to young people which was very important to their immigrant mothers and fathers.  The school’s leadership changed its name in the 1960’s to the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute as its programs grew playing a vital role in community building over the decades The mix of crops changed in the valley between the world wars with berries losing out to ones that would bring a better return and some farmland was soon devoted to new houses.  In 1930 Gardena was incorporated as a city including the rural communities of Moneta and Strawberry Park with a total population of about 20,000.  Although tiny in comparison to Los Angeles its percentage of Japanese and Japanese Americans was significant.  By then the Sawada family had moved south to Huntington Beach.  The 1930 U.S Census shows them living among Japanese neighbors who worked on berry farms and a poultry operation.  By that point Asahiko was a middleman wholesaling fruit Anti-Japanese LawsThere were consistent efforts in California’s legislature to limit immigration from Japan in the early 1900’s.  Elected officials also acted to deny a path to citizenship for the first generation.  Alien Land laws restricted acquiring property or the population on the whole.  Some Japanese immigrants got around the laws by putting homes and farms in the names of their children or by having friends hold title for them.  The Kobata farms were in the name of a relative who had been born in the U.S and talked about his growing up in an oral history interview.  He recalled going to Amestoy Elementary School and then taking Japanese classes on Saturdays for a half dozen years at the Moneta Gakkuen.  In junior high he went every weekday after regular school was over since the language classes were held very near the campus.  His Saturdays were often devoted to playing sports at the YMCA and the whole family would go to Wakayama Kenjinkai picnics on weekends The Shock of Pearl HarborEverything changed with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor although it wasn’t immediately evident to Kobata.  “Then the next day we went to school as usual people in Gardena they knew the Japanese quite well.”   Kobata says he didn’t become anxious until a few weeks later “We didn’t know what was going to happen and just anticipate what’s ahead for us.”  Part of the Kobata family moved inland to Salt Lake City.  That put them outside the zones that had been established in California where restrictions in travel and curfews were in place for Japanese and Japanese Americans.  “My older brother and Uncle Jimmy had to stay behind and sell off the Easter lily crop because that was the main money crops.”   both men were subject to the subsequent Executive Order 9066 which gave the government the power to assemble residents of Japanese ancestry.  The pair were incarcerated at Santa Anita Assembly Center held under guard while more permanent facilities were hastily constructed in the interior of the country.  The Kobata’s had arranged for a minister to watch out for their holdings and live in their house managed the farming side of their floral business their new life in Salt Lake City was in great contrast to the fate of the more than 110,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans living in concentration camps starting in the late summer of 1942.  Harold completed high school working after school and on Saturdays as a gardener.  Older family members had started a gardening business in Salt Lake City and everyone was expected to help out Jimmy Kobata returned home first to Gardena Valley to get housing sorted out while Harold finished up his senior year in the spring of 1945.  Diploma in hand several siblings and a sister-in-law had driven back to southern California in the family car Harold went on to take classes at Compton Junior College where a group of Japanese American friends formed a social circle they called “The Dinks.”  In the summer he earned spending money working at a nearby nursery.  Transferring to the University of Southern California he majored in chemical engineering and took a heavy class load while also finding time to be a part of the Nisei Trojan Club on campus.  He became the first in the Kobata family to finish college Post War GardenaEducational opportunities were but one of the enduring changes in the Japanese community brought on by dislocation during the 1940’s.  Starting almost immediately in the fall of 1942 with work picking sugar beets and other agricultural work those held in camps in the interior of the U.S could be released for jobs in the defense industries veterans could use the GI Bill to get an education or purchase a home.  In Gardena a number of those who had worked in agricultural before Pearl Harbor helped establish gardening services.  Startup costs were low and there were an increasing number of homes to maintain There were other vocational opportunities as the war industries converted to peacetime businesses.  California had become an aviation center during World War II due to its good weather for training pilots and support personnel.  Shipyards had ramped up to produce vessels and supply lines for fighting in the Pacific Theater.  Now those industries pivoted to serve a growing population as post-war marriages produced a boom of children The fields of the Gardena Valley started to grow houses where berries and other crops had flourished.  Southern California soon had new freeways part of the national vision for an interstate transportation system.  Nearby Walt Disney’s idea for a new kind of amusement park took hold.  Boomer families would make it a magical destination Not every Japanese family from the Gardena Valley came back like Harold Kobata’s did.  People who had been released from the concentration camps to work or study in Denver New Jersey and other urban areas found they liked their new surroundings enough to stay.  Why go back to the Pacific Coast where they’d been singled out vilified and then incarcerated?  They had heard that homes of returning Japanese families had been shot at or firebombed and city councils and county supervisors had passed resolutions opposing their return No Need To LeaveGardena and other towns and cities in Southern California seemed to have more returnees than many other places that had Japantowns.  The Central Valley particularly suffered a “brain drain” as second-generation Nisei and third generation Sansei sought college degrees at coastal colleges and jobs in better paying industries than agriculture there was little need for Japanese Americans to leave the area for better opportunities after the war.  Jobs and educational options were close at hand Ronald Ikejiri is part of the boomer generation born in 1948 in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles and named because of his mother’s fondness for movie star Ronald Reagan.  His father had been a “no-no” respondent to the government loyalty survey administered at Tule Lake Relocation Center So his parents had been sent to the Crystal City Alien Enemy Detention Facility in Texas had been attending school in Japan during part of the 1930’s.  The facility was smaller than the other concentration camps and different in that it held German and Italian citizens who were living in the United States and his father became part of the trend of offering gardening services.  The business did well and with savings of a thousand dollars purchased a home in Gardena in the early 1950’s.  “Growing up,” Ron Ikejiri recalls in a 2019 interview “Japanese parents would talk about camp.  I was a Boy Scout so I figured it was like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts they were talking about Ikejiri excelled in his scout troop and appreciated his youthful experiences.  “Growing up in Gardena I never felt any form of discrimination.  Thinking about it Japanese Americans ran the schools.  We were active in sports whatever it would be.  And so you never felt you were anything but what you would be.  So there was no cap.  Gardena was a wonderful place to grow up.” Ron Ikejiri in turn interviewed one of Gardena’s post-war political leaders as part of an initiative to capture the region’s Japanese American history.  Kobayashi was active in local politics as a series of Japanese Americans were elected to the city council and other offices including the state legislature.  Kobayashi recalled that when he attended Gardena High School more than half of the students were Japanese Americans Real Estate OpportunitiesThe economy of Gardena after the war was in part driven by a real estate boom.  Land was relatively affordable and developers snapped up property on the edges of Gardena and other nearby communities and built houses.  Agents marketing those homes were often welcoming to diverse buyers and so returning Japanese Americans could do something that many of their parents hadn’t been able to do—buy property.  Further the restrictive alien land laws were rolled back in California And citizenship was offered to first generation Japanese immigrants in the early 50’s who were previously categorized as aliens ineligible for citizenship Paul and Hideko Masuno Bannai were right in the middle of the changes taking place in Gardena.  A veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Paul returned to California and became manager of the Los Angeles Flower Mart before the couple moved their growing family to Gardena.  They had faced discrimination trying to buy in other places.  Paul became part of the solution joining the Kamiya Mamiya Real Estate firm reflected on those boomer years in an interview done in 2000 for the Densho Japanese American Legacy Project.  “Gardena was about a third Japanese American when I was growing up…It was very comfortable I mean there were many people around me who looked the same as I did who spoke the same broken Japanese as I did who ate the same foods I did.  And on top of that there were a number of community leaders who were Japanese American.” Perhaps because of her father’s work in real estate she became aware of Gardena’s housing dynamics.  “There was kind of a like a checkerboard pattern of housing so there was one community of several blocks that had a lot of Japanese American families and then the next checkerboard part of it would’t have any and the next one would…It wasn’t until later that I realized that the reason it was that way was because of racially discriminatory covenants.” What’s remarkable is that most of the post-war Gardena neighborhoods are still in place.  The houses built in the 50’s and 60’s are small by today’s McMansion standards making them relatively affordable to purchase now.  Closer to the city center there are also areas with homes built before the boom Gardena ranks lower than the national average when it comes to levels of poverty Political Clout BuildsPaul Bannai became a stalwart community leader active in groups ranging from Nisei Veterans Association of Southern California to Gardena Faith United Methodist Church and Boy Scouts Lorraine recalls her father running for city council when she was in high school “We were very much involved in his campaigning.  I remember sitting in open cars at Veterans Day parades going down the street with him and posing for press campaign photos and we canvassed door to door in the community for him asking people to vote for him…he had little fortune cookies that has little messages inside that said “Bannai for you in ’72…It was a good experience.  I learned about the political process.  I met some interesting people.  I remember meeting S.I Paul Bannai served his community in many ways.  He became Vice Chair of the Japanese American National Museum board and made history as the first Japanese American in the state legislature winning four terms representing the Assembly district that included Gardena.  He also was the first director of the Commission on War Relocation and Internment of Civilians whose findings led to Congressional legislation awarding reparations payments to those whose civil rights were violated by incarceration during War World II.  The legislation was signed by President Reagan in 1988 was very much involved with the reparations effort as the president of the Seattle chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League.  A human rights lawyer she also devoted years to overturning conviction of Gordon Hirabayashi in 1942 for violating a curfew placed on west coast Japanese and Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor Following in Paul Bannai’s footsteps to Sacramento is Al Muratsuchi who first became a member of the Assembly in 2012.  Muratsuchi spent most of his growing up years on U.S military bases where his father was a civilian employee.  But he became the first in his family to graduate college at UC Berkeley and then got a law degree from UCLA Muratsuchi worked as a prosecutor for the California Department of Justice and as Deputy Attorney General.  He was a regional director for the Japanese American Citizens League.  Focused on education and environmental issues Assemblyman Muratsuchi is running for re-election this fall We are currently funded by our readers 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Read our privacy policy for more info Gardena High’s boys’ baseball team began the Marine League with a bang with a pair of games against a highly regarded Banning High team last week The Pilots are currently ranked fourth in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section by MaxPreps and they showed why with mercy rule lopsided wins over the Panthers at 25-1 on March 26 at Gardena and 10-0 last Friday at Banning in Wilmington In a final game of the Dorsey Tournament last Saturday at Dorsey High in southwest L.A. Gardena finished with an 11-4 victory over Hollywood High last Saturday Gardena began the league against the Pilots who had little trouble in hammering the error-plagued Panthers The Panthers’ offense mustered only two hits Gardena’s only run came in the bottom of the fourth inning in the March 26 contest as returning all-Marine Leaguer Anthony Garcia drove home Jalani Hawes on a sacrifice fly Herrera went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and one run scored Matthew Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with five RBI’s and two runs scored was way closer than the score indicated as nine of the Pilots’ 10 runs were unearned allowing only one earned run in three innings but could not get help from his defense nor offense that forced another five-inning mercy rule loss The Panthers failed to get a hit and had just one baserunner “Garcia is a returning two-time second-team all-leaguer,” Gardena head coach Tom Anderson said We’re looking at a much better game against Hollywood.” Chris Alvarez had a double and scored a run an all-league offensive guard with Gardena’s football team last fall Winning pitcher Marco Viveros went 4 1/3 innings All four Hollywood runs were unearned due to five Panther errors as they totaled 17 in three games last week Gardena has a two-game league series against Carson Gardena begins the San Fernando Tournament at home against Arleta The Panthers resume league at Narbonne in Harbor City next Wednesday at 3 p.m CSUDH men and women’s hoops teams fall in finals The Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball program had a historical season this year Both the Toro men’s and women’s squads swept the California Collegiate Athletic Association regular season and conference tournaments won the NCAA Division II Western Regionals and made it to the finals of the national division playoffs It was the first time in the Cal State Dominguez 64-year basketball history that this accomplishment was made the Lady Toros fell to Grand Valley State University from Michigan 70-58 On Saturday at the Ford Center in Evansville the CSDH men’s team fell one point short to Nova Southeastern University from Fort Lauderdale In the Division II quarterfinals and semifinals the Cal State Dominguez men fell behind by 17 points to West Liberty University from South Carolina before pulling off an 86-84 win on March 25 the Toros once trailed by 19 points before rallying for a 94-83 overtime win over Dallas Baptist That put CSDH into the championship game against Nova Southeastern David Cheatam’s buzzer-beating jumper fell short and Nova celebrated its title Nova started well but the Toros came back with a 42-38 halftime lead Nova bounced back to lead by as many as eight points before Cal State Dominguez took a few slim leads including 73-72 on a basket by Cheatam with 24 seconds left in the game the Toros’ Jordan Hilstock fouled Nova’s M.J who made both free throws for a one-point Nova lead CSDH got the ball and passed around before giving it to Cheatam His heroic was not as successful as 24 seconds earlier as it failed to go through Former Serra High standout Jeremy Dent-Smith tying the game-high with Iraldi who also scored 27 Both scored 18 of those points in the second half Adam Afifi contributed nine points and five rebounds Iraldi had nine rebounds to go with his 27 points for Nova CSDH appeared to be doomed down 35-16 midway in the first half the Toros began to rally down by seven (41-34) by halftime Cal State Dominguez finally caught Dallas Baptist as Garcia’s three-point basket with 2.8 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 76 sending it into overtime the Toros outscored Dallas Baptist 18-7 to advance to the final Grand Valley came out storming with a commanding 38-21 halftime lead The Lady Toros managed to outscore the Lakers in each of the next two quarters but it was not enough as they ended their season with an astounding 36-2 record Asia Jordan led CSDH with a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds Kya Pearson added 11 points and four steals The Lakers had three players score in double figures led sisters Mae Kenzie and Rylie Basballe with 14 and 13 points Cal State Dominguez finished off Union from Tennessee 68-50 The Toros had good scoring depth with four players in double figures Williams led with 21 points and five assists Jordan contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds Teagan Thurman and Christina Jones finished with 14 and 12 points North splits league games with Wiseburn-Da Vinci North Torrance High’s baseball team began last week’s two-game Pioneer League series with a 9-2 home win over El Segundo Wiseburn-Da Vinci before falling short to the host Wolves 6-5 last Thursday Lucas Blackwood went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and three runs scored Among his four hits were a pair of run-scoring doubles North fell behind 6-0 but nearly pulled the game out scoring one run in the top of the sixth and four in the seventh Nicky Gonzalez highlighted the Saxons (5-10-1 overall and 2-5 in league) going 2-for-3 Lonnie Jackson sparked Wiseburn-Da Vinci with two hits North plays four non-league games over the next week Bernard from Playa del Rey today at 3:30 p.m North remains at home against Santa Monica St and against Hawthorne next Monday at 3:30 p.m Serra recorded three consecutive non-league wins Gabe Casillas went the distance with a two-hitter and 10 strikeouts Marc Emmerson went 3-for-3 with three stolen bases Salvador Rodriguez went 3-for 4 and drove in two runs He was 3-for-4 with five RBI’s and two runs Ethan Verrela went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs Trevor Anderson was 3-for-4 with three runs Isaiah Molina went 2-for-3 with two runs and Tom Pryor was 2-for-3 with one run Serra returned to Del Rey League action against La Salle High of Pasadena at Arcadia Regional Park last Tuesday The Cavaliers host the Lancers Friday at 3 p.m Serra will host Maywood Center of Enriched Studies from the CIF-Los Angeles City Section in the San Fernando Tournament Saturday at 10 a.m before resuming Del Rey action at home against La Puente Bishop Amat next Tuesday at 3 p.m Log in to leave a comment A Victorville man has been linked to the death of an 82-year-old relative in Gardena Donte Hashim Harris, 43, was arrested at the scene of the alleged killing, which took place about 9:15 a.m. Saturday at a business in the 1500 block of West 130th Street in Gardena according to Gardena Police Department officials and Los Angeles County booking records Officers first responded to a report of a person heard screaming at the business when they encountered Harris, "who was wearing bloodstained clothing," Gardena police said in a written statement officers then found an 82-year-old man who was unresponsive Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene Attempted murder: Man accused of repeatedly stabbing brother in Adelanto The victim was identified by police and Los Angeles County coroner's officials as Leroy Harris of Inglewood He was described as a family member of the suspect but their specific relationship was not disclosed An official cause of death was yet to be determined through an autopsy Bail for Donte Harris was set at $2 million pending legal proceedings Hesperia slaying: Man fatally assaulted, suspect jailed on suspicion of murder Anyone with information was asked to contact the Gardena Police Department Detective Bureau at (310) 217-9618.