Two Long Beach Elderly Care Owners Indicted For Human Trafficking
Long Beach--Filipino workers were brought into the country under the ruse of participating in sports tournaments and then forced to work 24-hour days for next to nothing according to an indictment handed down by a federal grand jury.

Two Long Beach residents, who own two elder care facilities, coordinated with two people based in the Philippines to advertise legal work according to court documents released on June 6. Once they agreed, the victims would be enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do class and signed up for a tournament in the United States in order to get a visa. Upon arrival, the indictment states, the workers’ passports were seized and then threatened with false accusation of crimes and deportation.

The victims were told not to speak to the families of the elderly or to socialize with other workers. The workers’ pay was withheld and they were told it was to pay off their smuggling fees.

Evelyn Pelayo, the owner of a Long Beach elder care business, is charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting, two counts of harboring illegal aliens, two counts of forced labor, two counts of seizing passports and two counts of human trafficking. Her husband, Darwin Padolina is charged with conspiracy and is expected to surrender to federal authorities.

Local Student Artists Honored in the Congressional Art Competition
This is the 26th year for the Congressional Art Competition, a judged student art contest in which the winner receives a trip to Washington D.C. and has their artwork displayed on Capitol for a year.

U.S. Rep. Laura Richardson of the 37th District sponsored her first Congressional Art Competition, drawing 33 submissions from Cabrillo, Wilson, Valley Christian, Millikan, Dominguez and Centennial high schools. The theme of their competition was “America” and Eric Arguirre of Cabrillo High School took first place with his charcoal drawing titled “American Eagle.”

Torrance showed off their young visual artists in their Congressional District’s competition, whose theme was “All You Need is Art.” U.S. Rep. Jane Harman was on hand at the Manhattan Beach ceremony to award Torrance West High School Student Ji Yong Kim first place for his painting entitled, “Palette of Art.”

The students’ artwork will be displayed in the Canon Tunnel, which leads to the US Capitol, along with the 433 other winners.

L.A. City Council Approves the Port’s Clean Truck Program
The Clean Truck Program (CTP), aimed to reduce diesel fuel emissions by 80 percent was approved by the Los Angeles City Council on June 17.

The CTP would offer incentives and grants to help facilitate the replacement of older trucks with newer, cleaner-running trucks. Subsidies would also encourage the use of alternative fuels and the development of cleaner technologies. The Harbor Commission approved the CTP in March 2008.

Sewage Spill Closes Beaches in Long Beach
Long Beach – A 16,000-gallon sewage spill in Glendale, around 6 p.m. on June 17, entered the Los Angeles River and caused the beaches west of Belmont Pier to 3rd Place to be closed according to Long Beach officials, who said it probably did not affect the water quality. However, the beaches were closed as a precaution and remained closed while bacteria levels were tested. Nearly all the bacteria levels tested within state limits on the afternoon of June 19 and the beaches were reopened. The beachside at Coronado Avenue recorded high levels of enteroccoccus and the beach was given an “advisory” label, meaning that contact with the water may cause illness and should be avoided.

Ponte Vista FEIR Released, Inks Deal With Eastview Little League
San Pedro — In a surprise move, Ponte Vista’s Outreach Team recently announced that it came to an agreement with Eastview Little League to help relocate the organization after its three-year term on Knoll Hill expires. The announcement, which came via e-mail, was also reported in the Daily Breeze.

According to the statement, Ponte Vista will build three regulation Little League fields, batting cages, spectator stands, a snack bar, restroom facilities, and other amenities for the San Pedro little league.

The deal was announced just a few days prior to the city’s June 26 public hearing held at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. The only catch in the deal is that it takes effect “as soon as Ponte Vista is approved,” an outcome that remains yet to be seen.

Meanwhile, the city’s planning department recently issued a final environmental impact report. One of the comment letters submitted by Allan Abshez, Mr. Bisno’s attorney, raised the possibility of significantly altering the project if the current proposal not be approved, developing 40 acres along Western Avenue into a shopping center, and developing the remaining 21.5 acres “with multi-family housing at an RD1.5 density (28 units per acre),” for a total of approximately 560 units.

Bosnian Serb War Crimes Fugitive Arrested
Belgrade—Bosnian Serb security chief Stojan Zupljanin was arrested recently in Serbia. Zupljanin, 56, will be sent to the United Nations tribunal in the Hague to be tried for war crimes. He was one of the top four fugitives sought by the tribunal for war crimes in the territory of former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the arrest was seen as a “step forward in Serbia’s European Union accession efforts.” Zupljanin, a commander in the city of Banja Luka during the 1992-95 Bosnia war, is charged with killing Muslim and Croat civilians. Also still at large, are the Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and Goran Hadzic, a local Croatian Serb leader.

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