El Monte’s The Red Pears will headline Viva! Pomona this weekend

• July 10, 2023

Indie rock band The Red Pears still remember what it was like to see their band name listed on the lineup poster for the Viva! Pomona Festival for the first time in 2018.

The El Monte-based trio played the outdoor stage back then, but are looking forward to returning this year as the Saturday headliner of the the two-day festival at The Glass House on July 15. Coco & Clair Clair will headline on Sunday, July 16 and some of the other acts on the bill include Los Aptos, Michael Seyer, Xavi, Isabella Lovestory, Sugar Pit, Snooper and many more.

“To come back with our names set as a headliner and playing The Glass House feels a bit surreal,” frontman and lead guitarist Henry Vargas said during a recent phone interview. “When we first started playing shows, we used to see Viva! Pomona flyers around the city and at venues, so it’s crazy how time has gone on, and now we’re here.”

Vargas and drummer Jose Corona first connected while attending Mountain View High School in El Monte in 2014, and met bassist Patrick Juarez a bit later on. Located just east of Los Angeles, El Monte has a population that’s more than 70 percent Latino according to the official city website. For the band members, who are all first-generation Mexican-American, they feel a sense of pride being from this area and that seeps into the music.

The Red Pears teeter on the sounds of early ’00s alternative and indie rock with an essence of the DIY punk culture. They’re heavily influenced by bands like The Strokes and Artic Monkeys, but still make the music their own. In just a handful of years, they’ve gone from smaller local stages to playing at festivals like SXSW, Tropicalia and, thanks to Viva! Pomona founder Rene Contreras, who also curates the Sonora Tent at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, The Red Pears made their Coachella debut in 2019. The band also joined Wild Nothing and Beach Fossil’s 2021 co-headlining tour, which sold-out two nights at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.

“A lot of people believed in our potential since the beginning, and Rene was one of them,” Corona said of the Viva! Pomona founder. “We always believed in what we could do, we had a vision for bigger, so being able to play at so many local backyard shows and smaller venue spots prepared us for the future, but also really humbled us. We never forget where we come from and Rene knows that, too.”

Nowadays, The Red Pears are playing the same stages and venues of bands they once looked up to, knocking a few off of the mental checklist they’ve had for years.  They recently got the news that they’ll be supporting one of their favorite bands, Interpol. They’ll serve as the opening act for the New York rockers’ second show at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 30 alongside fellow Southern California rising act, DannyLux. Tickets are still available for that show, starting at $29.50 at AXS.com.

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It’s a pretty big deal, Corona said, and it’s still something they’re trying to process.

“It all came together so naturally, and that’s the cool thing about it, I mean to open up for a band we’ve been listening to for a while and a band who’s been so influential in the early 2000’s alternative scene in New York is insane,” Vargas added with a laugh. “The fact that they even know about us is insane, too. It hasn’t really hit us yet, but once we get on that stage, I swear, I know it will.”

As for The Red Pears’ upcoming performance at Viva! Pomona, they feel it’s simply right timing and the right place, considering one of the band’s first shows was actually just a few blocks away from The Glass House in a dusty, small backyard. It’s a cherry on top for the group — for now — and they can’t wait to hit that stage and play in front of fans, many of whom have been there and supportive since day one.

“There’s so much growth we’ve had to do throughout the years, and this show means a lot to us because fans can see that growth,” Juarez said. “We’re hoping to release some new music during this set, so I think the fans who have been with us for a while are going to love it. I mean we love it, so that’s what matters.”

Viva! Pomona

When: 3-11:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15-Sunday, July 16

Where: 200 W. 2nd Street, Pomona

Tickets: Two-day passes are $50; single-day tickets are $30 at theglasshouse.us.

​ Orange County Register 

Putin hosted Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin at the Kremlin after short-lived mutiny

• July 10, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Kremlin days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence held by both men.

The three-hour meeting took place on June 29 and also involved commanders from Prigozhin’s Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine — where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops — and of the revolt itself. The Wagner forces pledged loyalty to Putin, according to Peskov.

The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month in order to demand a change of defense minister, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief was later dropped.

His ultimate fate remains unclear, particularly since Monday’s announcement shows much is being negotiated behind closed doors. On the day the meeting between Putin and Prigozhin took place, Peskov told reporters he didn’t have any information on the mercenary leader’s whereabouts.

Monday’s announcement came as Russia’s Defense Ministry published a video featuring military chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov — who was one of the targets of Prigozhin’s rebellion. It was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since the revolt.

The twin updates appeared to be another attempt by the Kremlin to show it’s in control after a turbulent period.

But Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, predicted that some observers would be stunned by the turn of events.

“When you look from the point of view of Russian elite, it’s ridiculous,” she told The Associated Press. “It’s just so unbelievable and just so shocking.”

Adding to the unusual nature of the meeting was that until very recently, Putin had denied any link between the state and Prigozhin’s forces. Mercenaries are illegal in Russia, but Wagner troops have fought for Russian interests around the globe and played a vital role in the capture of Bakhmut in the war’s longest and bloodiest battle.

But throughout the war, Prigozhin has criticized decisions made by Russia’s top military brass, leading to tensions with the Kremlin that culminated in the June 24 mutiny.

The rebellion severely weakened Putin’s authority, even though Prigozhin claimed that the uprising was not aimed at the president but at removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov. It ended his mutiny after a deal was brokered for Prigozhin to go to Belarus.

Days after the revolt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Prigozhin was in Belarus. But last week the president said the mercenary chief was in Russia while his troops remained in their camps.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an “assessment” of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and “of the events of June 24.” The president also “listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland,” Peskov said.

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, Peskov said.

A NATO summit later this week in Lithuania is looking at how to crank up the pressure on Moscow after 16 months of war.

In southern Ukraine, a Russian airstrike on a school killed four adults as people gathered to receive humanitarian aid, the governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said Monday, branding the attack “a war crime.”

Three women and a man, all in their 40s, died in the strike Sunday in the town of Orikhiv, Gov. Yuriy Malashko said.

A guided aerial bomb caused an explosion at the school, Malashko said, without providing evidence. Eleven other people were wounded in the attack, he said.

Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.

Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since its February 2022 invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those probes.

Zaporizhzhia province is home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which Russian forces seized early in the war, and is one of four regions of Ukraine that Putin illegally annexed last year. Retaking the province is one of the targets of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Russian aerial assaults continued across Ukraine between Sunday and Monday, according to a summary from the Ukrainian presidential office.

In the Donetsk region in the east, the Russians used aircraft, missile systems and heavy artillery to shell residential areas of 6 cities and villages, injuring one person, the office reported.

The Russian army attacked residential areas of Kherson, the regional capital of a province of the same name. A 66-year-old woman was injured, the presidential office said.

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​ Orange County Register 

LAX, Burbank flights affected by severe East Coast weather

• July 10, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Severe weather on the East Coast is affecting flights out of Los Angeles International Airport and Hollywood Burbank Airport Monday morning.

There were nine flights canceled and 103 flights delayed at LAX as of 7:30 a.m. There were nine flights delayed at Hollywood Burbank Airport.

Alaska Airlines canceled three flights and delayed one flights at LAX. United Airlines delayed 13 flights and canceled two flights. American Airlines delayed 11 flights and canceled one flight.

Southwest Airlines delayed six flights at Hollywood Burbank Airport.

At Philadelphia International Airport, more than 400 flights were either canceled or delayed on Sunday because of severe weather in the Delaware Valley and other areas.

Nearly 2,000 flights were canceled nationwide Sunday, according to the website Flight Aware, which tracks airline traffic. Thousands more are expected to be canceled or delayed Monday.

Philadelphia International Airport had the most delays and cancellations than any other in the country Sunday.

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​ Orange County Register 

1983: 40 years ago, these were the year’s most influential albums

• July 10, 2023

Imagine you sent a time traveler back to 1983 to bring back the biggest, most influential album of the year. If your time traveler didn’t return with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” well, you’d just have to send them back to get it right.

Yes, we know that it was released on Nov. 29, 1982, so technically it got a head start on the new year in music. But just look at what Michael Jackson and “Thriller” did by the end of 1983:

With 32 million copies sold by the time 1984 arrived, it became the top-selling album of all time, a record it still holds though the tally is now estimated at 70 million.

Its seven singles – the title track, “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “The Girl Is Mine,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” and “Human Nature” – all were hits, setting a record for most singles in the Top 10 from a single album that stood until 2021.

Grammy Awards? Eight. Music videos? Iconic. By any measure, “Thriller” transcended pop music, becoming a cultural artifact worthy of its place on lists of the best albums of all time.

But 1983 as a whole was a particularly rich year for influential albums. Some were massive hits from the jump, flying out of record stores on the day of release. Others had a slower burn, overlooked until their power to inspire was revealed.

Here in no particular order are a baker’s dozen of the most influential albums of 1983, each of them paired with a thematically related record or two to know as well.

David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” was released on April 14, 1983. (Image courtesy of EMI America)

1. “Let’s Dance,” David Bowie: The album that provided hits with its title track, “Modern Love,” and “China Girl” was influential for Bowie more for its commercial success than the more muted critical acclaim it received. Even Bowie later downplayed its artistic merits. But by broadening Bowie’s audience – Serious Moonlight was the biggest tour of 1983 – more fans ultimately found their way to his greatest works before and after it. And c’mon, it was fun and you could dance to it!

Now hear this: With “An Innocent Man,” Billy Joel also found success with a makeover of his musical style, mining the doo-wop and soul of his adolescence to write hits such as the title track, “Uptown Girl,” “Tell Her About It,” and “The Longest Time.”

R.E.M.’s debut album “Murmur” was released on April 12, 1983. (Image courtesy of I.R.S. Records)

2. “Murmur,” R.E.M.: The quartet from Athens, Georgia released its debut album in April 1983 to rave reviews – it ended up Rolling Stone’s album of the year – for singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. The songs enthralled listeners with moody mysteries and Southern rock far from that of the Allman Brothers or Lynyrd Skynyrd. If I could pick one band from 1983 to get back together today, R.E.M. would be it.

Now hear this: Violent Femmes released its self-titled debut one day after “Murmur” and while the words and music on “Violent Femmes” have their own distinct style there’s definitely common ground in the sometimes folk-infused rock of both bands.

The Police released “Synchronicity” on June 17, 1983. (Image courtesy of A&M Records)

3. “Synchronicity,” the Police: The fifth and final record by the Police spent 17 weeks at No. 1, and the single “Every Breath You Take” was the overall No. 1 of 1983. Here singer-bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland expanded the use of synthesizers, sequencers and influences such as world music to make a record that sounded more perfect than anything they’d done before. It made them the biggest band in the world for a year or two, and then they were done.

Now hear this: Elvis Costello, like the Police, arrived in the New Wave of the late ’70s but quickly pushed beyond its confines to explore more challenging, eclectic music. With 1983’s “Punch The Clock,” Elvis Costello and the Attractions found their biggest commercial success (“Every Day I Write the Book”) without losing any of the sophisticated intelligence (“Shipbuilding”) of previous work.

Def Leppard’s “Pyromania” was released on Jan. 20, 1983. (Image courtesy of Mercury)

4. “Pyromania,” Def Leppard: The English rock band and producer Mutt Lange found a way to make hard rock pop songs on “Pyromania.” The crunchy opening riffs of “Photograph” proved irresistible to fans and radio programmers alike, while “Foolin’” and “Rock Of Ages” were just as catchy.

Now hear this: Quiet Riot became the first heavy metal album to take an album to No. 1 on the charts when “Metal Health,” fueled in large part by the single “Cum On Feel the Noize,” bumped the Police and “Synchronicity” from the top spot in November 1983.

U2’s album “War” was released on Feb. 28, 1983. (Image courtesy of Island Records)

5. “War,” U2: “Sunday Bloody Sunday” kicks off U2’s third album and with it all the promise of the Irish group’s first two records locks into place. Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. became worldwide stars with the arrival of this LP. Forty years later, they still play songs from this record in concert and they are as thrilling as ever (as they are in 1983’s other U2 disc, “U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky.”)

Now hear this: Where U2 looked outward, Tears For Fears explored the internal on their 1983 album “The Hurting.” Today, it’s best known as the source of the single “Mad World,” but songs such as the title track, “Pale Shelter,” and “Change” also served to introduce the duo, who play the Hollywood Bowl in August and the Darker Waves festival in November, to the world.

Madonna’s self-titled debut album was released on July 27, 1983. (Image courtesy of Sire Records)

6. “Madonna,” Madonna: It’s wild to read the Rolling Stone review of Madonna’s debut, which begins by dissing her voice and taking its time before offering a decent amount of praise for the songs on the record. And what songs they were: “Lucky Star,” “Borderline,” “Burnin’ Up,” “Holiday,” and “Everybody” among them. This was the sound of a fierce talent and a ton of ambition arriving. Step aside, Rolling Stone, Madonna’s coming through.

Now hear this: A few months later, fellow New Yorker Cyndi Lauper arrived with her own unique voice and distinctive songwriting on “She’s So Unusual,” another terrific debut with hits including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “All Through The Night,” and “When You Were Mine,” and “Time After Time.”

New Order’s “Power, Corruption & Lies” was released on May 2, 1983. (Image courtesy of Factory)

7. “Power, Corruption & Lies,” New Order: On the second album after New Order formed from the ashes of Joy Division the English electronic rock band hit their stride. The songs mostly mined a wistful romanticism with “Age Of Consent,” “Your Silent Face,” and “Leave Me Alone” remain as fresh and powerful today as they did the day the shrink wrap came of my copy of the album.

Now hear this: With “True,” Spandau Ballet perfected its own kind of lushly romantic pop. The title track and “Gold” find the English New Romantics at their swooniest.

Eurythmics released “Touch” on Nov. 13, 1983. (Image courtesy of RCA Records)

8. “Touch,” Eurythmics: The second album released by Eurythmics in 1983 is the one that really pushed them to the top. And with songs such as “Here Comes The Rain Again,” “Who’s That Girl?” and “Right By Your Side” how could it not? Like many of the acts on this list, the rising power of MTV provided a boost. If you heard Annie Lennox, you loved her voice. If you saw her and partner Dave Stewart in a music video, you only fell harder for the duo.

Now hear this: What, you thought we were going to ignore their first album of the year? “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” is excellent too, with the title track one of Eurythmics’ signature songs and hidden gems scattered among the lesser-known tracks on the record.

Talking Head’s “Speaking In Tongues” was released on June 1, 1983. (Image courtesy of Sire)

9. “Speaking In Tongues,” Talking Heads: Like several of the artists on the list, Talking Heads had been successful prior to their 1983 release. “Speaking In Tongues,” with songs such as “Burning Down The House,” “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” and “Slippery People,” the band reached a critical and commercial peak. The Jonathan Demme-directed documentary of the band’s tour for the film album is one of the great concert films and will be re-released in August.

Now hear this: The Talking Heads were considered oddballs when they first showed up at CBGB’s in New York City in the late ’70s. In 1983, NYC weirdness meant bands more like Sonic Youth, whose debut album, “Confusion Is Sex,” arrived in February.

Lionel Richie’s “Can’t Slow Down” was released Oct. 14, 1983. (Image courtesy of Motown Records)

10. “Can’t Slow Down,” Lionel Richie:  Lionel Richie’s second solo album made clear that mainstream pop could count on him for years to come. This is another of those records that just kept spinning off singles: “All Night Long (All Night”)” and “Hello” both reached No. 1, and “Running With The Night,” “Stuck On You,” and “Penny Lover” all reached the Top 10.

Now hear this: Huey Lewis and the News were local heroes in and around San Francisco until “Sports” turned them into stars. Like Lionel Richie’s record, this one was another singles machine with songs such as “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “Heart and Soul,””If This Is It,” and “I Need a New Drug.”

Los Lobos’ “…And a Time to Dance” was released on June 15, 1983. (Image courtesy of Slash)

11. “… And a Time to Dance,” Los Lobos: There are only seven songs on this EP but they served to introduce the world outside of East Los Angeles to Los Lobos in 1983. With songs such as “Anselma” and the Ritchie Valens’ cover “Come On Let’s Go,” it found fans and rave reviews in the Village Voice, Rolling Stone and more.

Now hear this: The Southern California music scene also saw another pair of noteworthy releases in 1983. X released the album “More Fun in the New World,” which expanded their musical palette. And Orange County’s Social Distortion released its debut album “Mommy’s Little Monster,” kicking off a career that’s made them one of the region’s most beloved homegrown bands.

Metallica’s debut album “Kill ‘Em All” was released on July 25, 1983. (Image courtesy of Megaforce Records)

12. Kill ‘Em All,” Metallica: Formed in the metal clubs of L.A., refined after a move to San Francisco, Metallica made its debut LP in 1983 with one of the heaviest, fastest heavy metal albums the world had ever seen. Singer-guitarist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and then-bassist Cliff Burton made something new here. Others soon would follow.

Now hear this: Metallica contemporaries Slayer also released their debut album “Show No Mercy” in 1983, and, if anything, it’s heavier and darker than the Metallica album. Together the two bands represent half of the so-called Big Four of thrash metal, with Anthrax and Megadeth also part of that constellation of heavy metal thunder.

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​ Orange County Register 

Central Basin hired company secretly tied to general manager’s co-defendant in bribery case

• July 10, 2023

Central Basin Municipal Water District hired a company secretly run by employees of a construction firm that allegedly funneled $400,000 in bribes to the district’s general manager when he served as superintendent of a nearby school district, according to recently released court records.

Now, Central Basin’s board members are weighing whether to terminate General Manager Alex Rojas or temporarily relieve him from duty in response to revelations that the water district paid roughly $790,000 to a company called Capstone Partners Group, which was owned by an employee of the man Rojas allegedly assisted in an embezzlement scheme in exchange for the bribes.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Alex Rojas and Luis Rojas — the two men are not related — in August 2022 on 18 counts, including money laundering, bribery, perjury and embezzlement. Luis Rojas runs the Del Terra Group, a Pasadena-based construction management firm with clients throughout the state.

Prosecutors allege that, from 2015 to 2017, Luis Rojas’ sister paid more than $400,000 to a consulting firm owned by Alex Rojas while he served as superintendent in Bassett Unified School District. During that time, Alex Rojas signed off on at least $1 million payments to Del Terra for work that allegedly never occurred, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Both Luis and Alex Rojas have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have denied the allegations publicly. The case is still pending.

In October, California’s Financial Crisis and Management Assistance Team, an independent state agency that reviewed Del Terra’s billings in Bassett at the county’s request, concluded there was “sufficient evidence” to demonstrate that fraud, misappropriation of funds or other illegal fiscal practices had likely occurred.

Del Terra has faced similar allegations of impropriety in other jurisdictions, including Montebello Unified, Rio Hondo College and Alum Rock in Northern California. No one has been charged in those cases.

Central Basin Municipal Water District is a public water wholesaler with few of its own employees. It serves nearly 2 million people from 24 cities and unincorporated areas in southeast Los Angeles County, with its boundaries stretching from La Habra Heights in the east to Carson in the west and from Signal Hill in the south to Montebello in north. The board is made up of seven members, four of whom are elected and three of whom are appointed by the agency’s customers. The state Legislature forced the appointees on the agency following a scathing state audit that found questionable contract practices in 2016.

Capstone hired just months after Rojas

Roughly two years before Alex Rojas was arrested, Central Basin put out to bid two bench contracts — a type of open-ended agreement for whatever work is needed in the future — for construction and project management services. Though the request for proposals originally had a Nov. 9, 2020, deadline, Rojas extended it to Nov. 16 due to an alleged lack of bidders. Capstone was formed three days before the second deadline, according to records obtained by the Southern California News Group.

In an interview, Alex Rojas denied knowing about Capstone’s ties to Del Terra.

“If it is true that they were full time employees, that would be a concern,” Rojas said. “We didn’t know that, we weren’t aware of that. There were never times where our projects were delayed or they were unavailable.”

The general manager sat in on the interviews with Capstone at the time, but he stressed that he did not ask questions, or participate in the scoring, which he said was handled by Central Basin’s most senior employees.

A staff report at the time states all four groups that submitted proposals were invited for an “interview with the General Manager and two staff members.” Rojas recommended Capstone and a second company, Cummings Management Group,, for the contract based on their “background, experience and quality of their work,” according to the report. The contract, approved by the water board in December 2020, set the minimum payment each company would make at $50,000, did not set a maximum and gave the authority for issuing new work to Rojas.

At the time, Rojas had only been on the job for a few months and had fired most of Central Basin’s employees as part of restructuring. He leaned on his remaining employees’ expertise to vet the qualifications of the teams in the proposals, he said.

“We had three or four projects that had been approved and no work had started on them,” Rojas said. “These projects were not initiated by me, these were legacy projects that had been started, approved, and had been floundering for some time.”

Central Basin struggled to get bidders, even after Rojas personally approached several companies in the industry to ask if they would be interested in bidding. He did not ask Del Terra, he said, because they did not “know water.”

Capstone rose to the top because its proposed team included some water infrastructure experts well-known in the industry, Rojas said. The team members in the proposal provided resumes listing public projects they had worked on without mentioning any current or previous employers.

Allegations emerged in civil suit

An attorney representing Central Basin board member Leticia Vasquez-Wilson deposed Capstone’s owner, Manuel Jaramillo, in June 2023 as part of a separate lawsuit Vasquez-Wilson filed against the district alleging Rojas retaliated against her for raising concerns about his conduct. The suit claimed Rojas limited her ability to speak at meetings and refused to provide documents she said were needed to serve the communities she represents.

Vasquez-Wilson, who once pushed for Rojas’ hiring, alleges Rojas and his supporters on the board have turned Central Basin into a “criminal enterprise.”

“Unfortunately, we have a board majority that hasn’t carried out their fiduciary duty to look into these very, very serious matters, including the fact Del Terra was essentially doing business and getting money out of Central Basin through this company called Capstone,” Vasquez-Wilson said.

Despite Rojas’ arrest, she said, he still serves as the district’s treasurer and controls its finances.

“What other public agency in the state would allow that?” she asked.

Capstone owner’s admission

The Southern California News Group independently reviewed a recording of the deposition for this article. Jaramillo could not be reached for comment.

In the deposition, Jaramillo said Luis Rojas helped him form the company, though he stressed that Luis was not involved in the operation at all beyond serving as a mentor. Instead, Jaramillo — who admitted to struggling to juggle his responsibilities at Capstone and his full-time job at Del Terra — brought on Rudy Viramontes, another Del Terra employee, to help with the day-to-day workload. Jaramillo paid Del Terra directly for Viramontes’ time, he said.

Viramontes managed the engineers and other subcontractors that were sent out to cover the various jobs requested by Central Basin, according to Jaramillo.

Jaramillo terminated Capstone’s contract with Central Basin in August 2022 due to his concerns about an article related to Vasquez-Wilson, he testified. He could not recall the article’s contents or where it was published, according to his testimony.

Alex Rojas and Luis Rojas were charged by the District Attorney’s Office that same month, though Jaramillo denied their arrests influenced his decision and said he has no concerns about working at Del Terra.

Jaramillo defended his boss when the district attorney’s allegations were brought up.

“The Luis Rojas that I know is a very good man,” Jaramillo said. “He was there for me when my oldest daughter passed away, he’s been there for hard times.”

Jaramillo and another Del Terra employee who worked with Capstone were identified in a different criminal case against Luis Rojas. That case, filed in 2020 by the District Attorney’s Office, alleges Luis Rojas and Gustavo Camacho, a Pico Rivera councilman, conspired to commit campaign money laundering by funneling contributions through various friends and family members to a Montebello Unified School District board member’s campaign.

The three-count criminal complaint in that case alleges contributions were made under the names of Jaramillo and Del Terra employee Jerry Quemada. During that investigation, the District Attorney’s Office stumbled on the alleged payments made to Alex Rojas, which he failed to report on his financial disclosures.

How much they were paid

Checks obtained through the court case showed Capstone was paid at least $790,000. Ronald Wilson, Vasquez-Wilson’s husband and attorney, alleges Capstone had another $5 million in work in its queue at the time.

“There’s at least $792,000 that I can verify, because I have copies of the checks,” Wilson said, adding that he is still subpoenaing records to determine if other payments were made.

Jaramillo stated in the deposition that he received almost none of the money, except for a company car — an Audi Q5 — and about $25,000 that was left over following the company’s dissolution earlier this year.

“At the end of the day, I didn’t find it lucrative,” Jaramillo said.

During his testimony, Jaramillo stated he was laid off from Del Terra in the spring of 2020 and created Capstone as a result. He later testified that he returned to Del Terra full-time in November 2020 and was still in that position as of the deposition on June 22.

The Los Angeles Times interviewed Jaramillo and identified him as a Del Terra employee in an article about a school roof collapse in Lynwood Unified in July 2022, while Capstone’s contract was still active.

Rojas denies knowing about ties

Alex Rojas alleged he did not know Jaramillo or Viramontes worked for Del Terra. His interactions with the company were mostly with Viramontes, he said.

“There was nothing that indicated he had another job,” Rojas said.

Rojas referred a number of questions to his attorney, Craig Missakian, due to the pending criminal case. Missakian, who also represents Camacho in the other criminal case against Luis Rojas, acknowledged questions sent to him, but did not provide any further response.

Board weighs Rojas’ future

Central Basin board member Juan Garza, who joined the water district in November, pushed his colleagues to schedule a closed-session discussion about Rojas’ employment at their July 5 meeting after the deposition video began circulating around the district. The board did not take any action and continued the matter to their next meeting.

Garza could not speak about the specifics of the discussions due to confidentiality requirements, but said his personal concerns about Capstone motivated him to make the request and that he would like to see an investigation into any payments made to that company.

“My focus is on our agency and ensuring that our agency is not in any way negatively affected,” he said.

Removing Rojas as general manager, or placing him on paid administrative leave, won’t be an easy feat. Not only has Central Basin’s board refused to take action against him in the past, but prior boards have imposed measures to protect his employment. Firing Rojas, even for cause, requires a third-party arbitrator to determine whether Rojas has committed “major malfeasance.” And even if he has, the district is required to give him six months to “demonstrate improvement.”

Initiating that process requires the support of six of the seven board members.

Rojas declined to comment on the board’s possible actions. He pointed to Central Basin’s progress over the past three years, noting the district received clean audits in the last two years and went from junk level bond ratings to AA+, one of the highest ratings.

“We’re doing really well,” he said, “and it is unfortunate now that people are trying to make connections.”

Related links

Central Basin won’t take action against indicted general manager, memo states
Local legislators reach compromise on Central Basin reform bills
Who is Del Terra? The controversial history of the City of Industry-based company through the years
Central Basin’s general manager allegedly took $400,000 in bribes at his previous job

​ Orange County Register 

Why former KABC radio host Doug McIntyre isn’t planning a regular on-air return

• July 10, 2023

“About 15 years ago, I did one air shift at KFI (640 AM) radio,” wrote (former) longtime KABC (790 AM) morning talker and SCNG opinion columnist Doug McIntyre on a social media post. “I so impressed management that, after only a decade and a half, they have invited me back. I will be filling in for John & Ken on Thursday, June 29th and Friday, June 30th from 1-4 p.m. Nobody is more surprised than me.”

He did fill in, and it most certainly did not go unnoticed by you … I received numerous emails asking if, just perhaps, McIntyre might come back permanently to radio via KFI. So I asked; his response will likely disappoint somewhat. But there is some good news, too.

“I’m just happy to have had the opportunity to fill in for John and Ken,” McIntyre explained, adding, “I am not looking for work. They called and asked if I’d do it and the timing was good, especially with my book coming out July 18th, so I said yes.

“It was a ton of fun, but after 4-1/2 years off the air, I was as nervous as I was the first time I ever hosted a show. I’d be happy to do more fill-in work if they ask. I have a lot of old friends in the building.”

Any possibility of a permanent position? Not interested.

But the book? What’s up with that? I have not read it, seen an advanced copy, nor have any real information as to its content. But I do know it is being published (as stated above) on July 18th. And it is his first full-length novel, entitled “Frank’s Shadow.”

You can read the synopsis by searching out the title, but this part of the description jumped out at me: “’Frank’s Shadow’ is a deeply (sometimes darkly) human story wrapped in the trappings of a delightfully gritty love letter to New York City’s less glamorous neighborhoods.” Sounds intriguing!

McIntyre will be out promoting the book in person on July 18th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The Grove at Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles; July 22nd from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Gatsby’s in Long Beach; and July 26th from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Pages: A Book Store in Manhattan Beach and August 9 at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s in Pasadena. More signing events will be held in August as well … you can see a calendar of events for the book and other aspects of his life at dougmcintyre.com/upcoming-appearances.

More Oldies … on Hit Radio?

Well, I guess it had to happen. Considering that even supposed new music stations like Alt 98.7 FM and KROQ (106.7 FM) are essentially alternative oldies stations, perhaps it was just a matter of time before top-40 stations became oldies stations as well.

I mean, why attract young people to radio when you can play the same songs you played 20 years ago? Simple. Easy. Mindless. Lazy.

I am referring to a trend highlighted in a recent RadioInsight.Com report by Lance Venta, who writes that “WKFS Milford/Cincinnati Ohio has joined the growing number of CHR stations shifting to a gold-heavy presentation.

“WKFS is still playing 3-4 currents per hour, but has removed all of its re-currents and recent golds replacing them with golds mostly from 2000 to 2010,” he says.

To translate that into normal-speak, what they have done is limited new releases — within the past year or so — to three or four songs per hour, cut back on music over a year old (re-currents) along with those just slightly older (recent golds). In their place are what we used to call oldies – songs more than ten years old. Note that the station is not going back too far, though it is the modern equivalent of when stations like KHJ (930 AM) or K-WEST (now KPWR, 105.9 FM) would drop back into the 1960s era when they played top-40 in the 1980s … or when KHJ played songs from the ‘50s in the 1960s and ‘70s.

The difference, though, is that stations like KHJ and K-WEST maintained playing a LOT of new music, and the oldies added spice to the mix, maybe twice an hour at most. And they were carefully selected to make you go, “Wow, I haven’t heard that in years.” Usually, the songs were part of a flashback and highlighted using terms like “Yesterday,” “No, 1 then…” or the “Time Machine.”

The modern version, by contrast, places the oldies at the top-tier. Which would be OK if the stations sold themselves as the oldies stations that they are, much like KRTH (101.1 FM) did in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Perhaps it will work, and radio can continue to shun younger listeners, forcing them to other entertainment sources. But I find the entire movement kind of sad when formats that are supposed to play new music … don’t. If this continues, the only people who will listen to radio will be older than me.

Sure, it could bring in some listeners from other stations. But it won’t bring in new listeners to radio, and it is basically the easy way to temporarily make a buck. Like other make-a-buck schemes of the past — satellite formats, “Jack” formats, cloned stations in every market, little promotion, nationwide contests, one DJ for multiple stations — it will do nothing to make radio competitive long-term against the industry’s numerous competitors, from streaming services to TikTok.

Sometimes, it really does seem that the radio industry wants to fail.

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com.

​ Orange County Register 

CSU system may implement 6% annual tuition hikes to cover a $1.5 billion budget gap

• July 10, 2023

More than 460,000 students at the 23 California State University campuses could see annual tuition increases in coming years — for the first time in nearly a decade.

The CSU Board of Trustees’s Committee on Finance will weigh a proposal on Tuesday, July 11, that would implement 6% tuition hikes every year starting in the fall 2024 and ending in the spring 2029 semesters. The potential move, university officials say, is necessary to cover $1.5 billion of unfunded operational costs in the system’s budget, though students and others say it could financially harm students — and further hurt enrollment.

The proposal will require full board approval, which would likely happen sometime in September.

A CSU workgroup first identified the massive funding gap in a nearly 70-page report released in May. It found that the system only has enough money to pay for about 85% of the actual costs of education, institutional and academic support, and student services at all of its campuses.

That’s largely because the CSU’s two primary revenue sources — funding from California’s budget and tuition — haven’t kept up with the ever-increasing costs of operating the nation’s largest state univeristy system, the report said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, in 2022, proposed an agreement with both the CSU and University of California systems to  increase state funding to both by 5% annually for five years.

Officials from both systems hailed the funding compact, saying it would bring much-needed stability to their budgets and support long-term educational investments.

Despite problems within its own budget — including a 2023-24 shortfall of about $31.5 billion dollars — the state still set aside the agreed upon 5%, or $227.3 million, for the CSU’s base budget this fiscal year.

That compact with the state, according a CSU finance committee report for the Tuesday meeting, is expected to add $1.3 billion in new funding to the CSU’s budget by 2028-29, if the agreement continues beyond the originally proposed five years.

But still, CSU officials said, it’s not nearly enough to cover the growing operational budget gap.

“The state general fund — the CSU’s largest revenue source — is volatile and wholly dependent on California’s economy,” CSU Chancellor’s Office spokesperson Hazel Kelly said in a Friday, July 7, statement. “If the CSU were to continue to over-rely on the state general fund, it could jeopardize the university’s financial situation and its ability to serve students.”

Another problem is that the CSU’s secondary source of funding, tuition revenues, has been stagnant for nearly a decade. The last tuition hike — which was 5%, or $270 a semester — came during the 2011-12 academic year.

“The absence of a tuition increase has also prevented the CSU from having sufficient resources to keep up with rising costs,” the report said. “Implementing the multi-year tuition proposal would provide the CSU with an additional $840 million in tuition revenue by 2028-2029.”

The CSU system also has seveal unfunded mandates it will eventually have to pay for in order to maintain compliance with federal and state educational regulations, the report said.

Those include up to $1 billion for employee raises, $18.7 million to institute Title IX regulations, and another $5.8 billion to upgrade decades-old campus facilities that have fallen into despair because of deferred maintenance, the report said.

“Financial sustainability and predictability are critically important for the CSU to accomplish its mission and overcome its challenges,” the report said. “A strategic, multi-year increase to tuition would provide additional resources to better ensure that Californians have opportunities to earn lifelong, life-transforming benefits through CSU educational programs.”

Without developing a stable budget with revenues that match the increased costs of operating 23 universities, the report said, the CSU would have to redirect funding to where it’s most needed — which could result in fewer course selections, less student services and a limited capacity for the system to invest in updated learning environments or give pay raises to its employees.

As it stands, undergraduate tuition — not including other costly fees, such as housing, food and academic supplies — is around $5,742 per year. The tuition rate increase, if approved, would add an additional $342 to undergrad tuition starting in the fall 2024 semester, the report said, bringing the total to $6,084.

From there, tuition would go up another 6% annually for the next five years. By the spring 2029 semester, full-time undergrads would be required to pay $7,682 for the academic year, while higher-level programs, such as a doctorate in public health would total about $25,000 per year.

The CSU, in its report, said that the proposed tuition increases wouldn’t change it status as among the most affordable higher education systems in the country. It also added that about 60% of its student population would be unaffected by the change because of grants or fee waivers.

Cal State Fullerton officials agreed with CSU representatives, saying on Friday that 60% of its students with the greatest financial need will be supported with aid from various sources. A Cal State Dominguez Hills representative said much the same, noting that low-income students will have their aid amounts adjusted to cover the additional costs.

Even so, CSUF plans to streamline its scholarship application process in response to student complaints about the potential tuition increase.

That university will form a new scholarship office, housed within the Office of Financial Aid, to oversee all financial aid and scholarship opportunities, according to CSUF spokesperson Ellen Treanor. That office will allow students to apply for multiple tuition assistance options at the same time.

Cal State Northridge didn’t respond to requests for comment on Friday, while representatives from CSU campuses in Long Beach and Los Angeles declined to comment.

But for some students — those who don’t qualify for full tuition coverage, but aren’t in a position to pay for college out-of-pocket — the reality isn’t so simple.

Oliver Solares, for example, is a graduate student at Cal State Fullerton studying chemistry. His education is partly funded by a private grant, and he currently works at the university as a teaching associate — but he’s worried about how the potential change will impact his day-to-day life.

“Personally, I’m barely scraping by trying to pay rent, bills and food,” Solares said in a Friday interview. “So, increasing tuition makes trying to live a normal productive life as a student much harder.”

Jensen Walsh, another CSUF student studying for an undergraduate degree in history, said much the same Friday.

He pays around $2,300 per semester as a part-time student to balance a six-unit course load and a part-time job. He is also a recipient of a federal Pell grant — though that only covered about $1,900 of his fees last semester.

“It’s going to exacerbate my financial vulnerability. It’s going to take more money away from me when I already have so little,” Walsh said. “It’s going to be harder for me to get an education.”

Eloy Oritz Oakley, the former chancellor of the California Community Colleges who also had a temporary stint as a U.S. Department of Education adviser with the Biden administration, seemed to agree with the students’ concerns.

“I understand why the trustees are thinking about raising tuition,” Oakley said in a Friday interview. “(But) in an environment like this, with this economy, it will be a challenge for low-income learners in this state to continue to think about the CSU as a place to pursue their higher education. I would be lying if I didn’t say that it is a concern to me.”

Oakley stepped down as community college chancellor last year to serve as president and CEO of the College Futures Foundation, which works on issues related to equity and economic prosperity.

The crux of the issue with tuition increases, Oakley said, boils down to basic needs, such as housing and food security — especially at campuses in or near historically low-income communities, like CSUDH or CSUN.

“It makes it very challenging for learners to afford the total cost of attending college, and certainly tuition is part of it,” Oakley said. “I think one of the challenges that we hear being expressed from students right now is the total cost of attending college, which is why we have significant enrollment decline across the country. Students are questioning the value proposition.”

The CSU system, though, argues that the increased costs of tuition are unlikely to cause further student enrollment declines. Enrollment declines, the CSU says, have myriad reasons, including economic and emotional impacts from the coronavirus pandemic and the volatility of the economy generally.

“The reasons for the overall CSU enrollment decline are varied: strong employment demand, higher entry-level salaries, changes in regional populations and ongoing stressors on mental health are among the factors,” the CSU said on its website. “In addition, approximately one-third of the CSU enrollment decline is due to fewer California Community Colleges transfer students.”

The CSU website further said that it is “very unlikely” tuition played a role in those decreases over the past several years, as its tuition hasn’t been increased since 2011 and the CCC system is effectively free.

Oakley, though, disagreed that raising the cost of education would have no impact on whether students pursue higher learning in the future.

“Costs will always have an impact on enrollment, there’s no doubt about it — particularly for the kinds of students that CSU and community colleges serve,” Oakley said. “It may be the case that they need to raise tuition, but to argue that it wouldn’t impact students — I don’t see how anybody could say that with a straight face.”

Vivian Nguyen, an incoming CSULB senior, said Friday that though tuition costs have been relatively low at her school, things differ between majors.

“I am a biology major, and the more you progress, the more labs you have to take — which is extra tuition cost,” she said. “Every single year, it’s an increase of a couple hundred dollars or sometimes even a thousand dollars, depending on how many labs you take.”

Nguyen said she will pay about $7,000 for her classes this fall and spring. Nguyen said she feels lucky she doesn’t have to currently pay rent or for a dorm because she lives with family near campus. But she said she feels the tuition increase could pose a real hardship for other students with more financial burden.

“It’s difficult to even get money,” Nguyen said. “If they’re increasing (tuition), then they’re decreasing other people’s opportunities to go to college.”

Nguyen also said she doesn’t think the tuition increases are fair — unless the money is used to fund students’ priorities.

The five-year tuition increase proposal is expected to generate about $860 million over its first five years. About $280 million of that — or around one-third — would fund financial aid for students with the most need, according to the report.

The remainder of the funds, the report said, would be used to expand the work of the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025 — which aims to increase graduation rates for first-time and transfer students — alongside pay raises for the CSU workforce, academic facility and infrastructure upgrades, plans to boost enrollment, and other operational costs.

The CSU board’s finance committee will discuss the proposal and decide whether to send it to the full Board of Trustees for final approval on Tuesday at the CSU Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach, 401 Golden Shore.

The meeting kicks off at 1:30 p.m. in the Dumke Auditorium.

Staff writers Nollyanne Delacruz and Christina Merino contributed to this report.

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​ Orange County Register 

Senior living: How to stay healthy when playing pickleball

• July 10, 2023

By Dr. Andrew Le, guest columnist

Pickleball fever has hit Americans and there is no doubt it’s the fastest growing sport in the United States.

Many seniors have picked up on this sport and made it a part of their daily exercise regimen – which is great. It is important for seniors to continue staying active as they age, and pickleball is the perfect low-impact exercise.

Andrew Le, DO, CAQSM MemorialCare Medical Group. (Photo courtesy of MemorialCare)

But it’s important to note that in a 2021 study found in the National Library of Medicine, data showed pickleball could cost Americans, especially seniors, nearly $377 million in health care costs this year, accounting for 5-10% of total unexpected medical spending.

The study also showed that pickleball-related injuries occur most frequently in older adults. From 2010 to 2019, 86% of emergency department visits occurred in people at least 60 years old. Among pickleball injuries, 60% result from sprains, fractures or strains; 20% from contusions, abrasions or internal injuries; and fewer than 10% from lacerations and/or dislocations.

Common and complex pickleball injuries

Most injuries in seniors related to pickleball occur in the elbow, shoulder, leg and foot:

Elbow injuries such as lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, are typically the result of overuse injuries found in the muscles and tendons that can cause pain and swelling.
Shoulder injuries may occur from improper technique, not stretching or over-exertion. Common shoulder injuries include tendinitis or bursitis but can range to more complex injuries, such as rotator cuff tears.
Leg injuries tend to be strained muscles, ankle sprains and Achilles’ tendon injuries from running, jumping or lunging. This could be from several issues, such as dehydration, over-extension or pivoting/twisting motions.
Foot injuries include blisters or plantar fasciitis, which can stem from improper footwear, or repetitive running, jumping or sliding motions — all common maneuvers in pickleball.

Most of these injuries can be treated in an outpatient clinic or doctor’s office, along with rest, icing and recovery. But it is important for seniors to seek medical attention from their doctor if the injury persists.

Some of the more complex injuries from pickleball may include:

Severe ankle sprains or tears: These usually impact the ligaments that are most commonly on the outside of the ankle. When these ligaments are severely injured, you may be sidelined for a while and even require a walking boot or a cast in some cases.
Achilles’ tendon rupture: A traumatic tear that connects the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the heel bone (calcaneus) in the foot. This injury often requires surgical repair.
Rotator cuff tear: Adults in their 50s and older can develop full-thickness rotator cuff tears without a major injury. Traumatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears tend to require surgical repair to restore optimal function. But with newer technology, these surgeries can almost always be done with minimal invasiveness, with three to four tiny incisions. After surgery, physical therapy is critical, and the post-operative rehab may take some time prior to returning to the court.
Wrist fracture: Breaks in the bone often occur from falls on an outstretched hand, with a distal radius fracture being the most common. If the fracture is minimally displaced, treatment may include a simple brace or a cast. If the fracture is displaced, it may require reduction and surgical repair.

Preventing pickleball injuries

For seniors, warming up and cooling down is necessary, and essential to ensure you are properly loosened up and ready for activity.

Key tips to help avoid pickleball injuries include:

Warming up before the match: Stretching and light cardiovascular exercises, such as jogging, will help lower the risk of injury.
Cooling down after the match: Proper nutrition and rehydration, as well as foam rolling and stretching, will help your body repair and recover.
Being aware of your surroundings: Be careful not to trip on balls that may have rolled onto your side or loose bag straps laying around the court.
Taking regular breaks and not over-practicing: It is important during the match for seniors to take frequent breaks, as the risk of injury increases with fatigue. When first starting, gradually increase or ramp up your activity level to minimize overuse injuries.
Drinking plenty of water and fluids: This is essential for your vital organs and will protect you against heat-related illnesses and dehydration.
Having proper training, technique and form: If you are a beginner, take time to join a class or learn the proper technique before playing competitively. Having proper form and mechanics can significantly minimize your risk of overuse injuries.

The key to an injury-free pickleball season is preparation, planning and practice. If you stick to these routines, you will enjoy all the benefits of physical activity and social interaction with your fellow pickleball players.

Dr. Andrew Le is a family medicine and sports medicine physician at MemorialCare Medical Group. Le completed his medical education at Western University of Health Sciences. During his time there, he received multiple scholarships and awards in family medicine, was the President of the Sports Medicine Club and graduated with honors. He has a specialized interest in diagnostic and interventional ultrasound, orthobiologics, management of chronic tendinopathy and arthritis, and comprehensive wellness care for patients of all ages.

​ Orange County Register