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Michael
Webster: Publisher/Editor. The Journal Family of publications
headquartered at 301 Forest Ave. Laguna Beach, CA 92651
**************
LAGUNA JOURNAL
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Weed & Brush Abatement For Fire Safety
Protection
In an effort to minimize the damage caused
by uncontrollable fires, parcels where weed
abatement is likely to be necessary. Owners
of private property be aware of the need to
cut dead, dry vegetation that would aid the
spread of a fire.
We cut and remove weeds and vegetation to
bring your home or commercial building into
CODE
COMPLIANCE.
For FIRE
SAFETY, WEED & BRUSH ABATEMENT CONCERNS CALL
949 494-7121. Free Estimates.
There are many things that residents can do
to make their homes less vulnerable to
damage from a brush fire.
Please take time to consider the steps below
for your property:
-
Clear dry grass, brush and leaves, near
structures.
-
Use ice plants and other fire-resistant
plants to landscape.
-
Clear all debris from the roof, gutters
and spouts.
-
Remove dead limbs located over roofs and
all limbs within 10 feet of chimneys.
-
Prune the lower limbs within six feet of
ground on all trees 18 feet high or
taller to keep ground fires from
spreading to trees.
-
Relocate firewood at least 30 feet from
all structures and 10 feet from all
vegetation.
-
Keep plants, shrubs and trees away from
power lines.
-
Keep gas and propane tanks at least 30
feet from all structures.
-
Replace shake roofs with fire-resistant
roofing.
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Cover chimneys and stovepipes with
nonflammable screens with 2 inch (or
less) mesh.
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Where every OC
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ATTENTION:
Governors, Mayors, City Council Members,
City Managers, County Commissioners, Emergency
Managers, Fire Chiefs, Police chiefs, Nation
Wide.
NOTICE: IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO BE ADDED TO
YOUR STATE/CITIES/COUNTIES EMERGENCY PLAN AS
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EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT,
OPERATORS & WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS AVAILABLE
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****************************
Dr. Viviane S. Stein
Cosmetic & General Dentistry
31852 S. Coast Hwy., Suite 412
Laguna Beach, CA
949 415.1000
******************* |
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TO
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|
***************************
Goko Caf'e
Fresh
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Delicious Home Made Meals
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner
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907 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna
Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-4880
**************************
FRANK'S
Service - Sales - Leasing Mercedes Benz
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900 S. Pacific Coast HWY. Laguna Beach, CA
92651 (949) 494-9420 (949) 497-2273
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***************************
Carolyn's Barber Station
Forest Ave. Laguna
Beach, CA 92651
Th-Fr 12-5pm Sat
10-5pm Call Alicia
*******************
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the
Laguna Journal (949) 494-7121
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**********************************************
TO NOURISH YOURSELF IN HARMONY WITH MOTHER
EARTH go![[Raven image]](clipart3.gif)
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While in Mendocino stay at
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**************************
ACUPUNCTURE
HERBAL MEDICATION
Sahel "Sal" Nehrir L.Ac Ph.D.
Doctor Philosophy In Oriental Medicine
Board Certified Acupuncturist/Herbalist
Now Accepting House Calls
31641 S. Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach
Phone 949/510-9576
===================
TAI'S PAINTING CO
House
Commercial
Apt
Industrial
Its time for You
to paint. If you want the best quality
professional painter please call (714)
741-9615 Fax (714) 534-5648 State Lic # 700283
**************
THE SHOE CELLAR
Ecco-Mephisto-Clarks-
Sperry-Teva-Dansko
245 Forest Ave. Laguna Beach,
CA 926519949) 376-0563 Fax 9949) 464-0763
***************
SUNGLASS GALLERY
Armani-Maui Jim-Revo-Persol-Oakley
Bret Blackburn
& Harry Bagga Eye Protection Experts
205 Ocean Ave. Laguna Beach,
CA 92651
(949) 494-5452
*****************
SECRET GARDENS
OF LAGUNA
1370 S. Coast HWY. Laguna Beach,
CA 92651 (949) 376-GROW Fax (949) 376-4783
________________
ROPAGE BEAUTY
SUPPLY & SALON
BEAUTY IS OUR BUSINESS
272 Forest Ave. Laguna Beach, CA
92651 Fax (949) 497-1003
*************
Hand Made
International Costa
Azul Surf Co.
Authentic Equipment Since
1985
Rod Greenup
Owner & Shaper
Headquarters 881 S. Coast
Hwy. Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Ph/Fx (949) 497-1423
www.costa-azul.com
=================
HAVOC
On
Consignment
Shirley Meusch
Designer, new and delicately
used apparel Mon-Sat 10-6
Sun 11-4
374 Ocean Avenue, Laguna
Beach, CA 9261
(949) 497-6822
===============
LM&P Auto
Parts
Auto Parts & Machine Shop
Service
1796 S. Coast Hwy. Laguna
Beach, CA 92651 (949) 494-1039
**************
I.C. LONDON
Lingerie *
Bodywear
314 Ocean Ave. Laguna Beach,
CA 92651 (949) 497-4254
***************
HI-TECH CLEANERS
Full Service
Dry Cleaners
370 Ocean Ave. Downtown
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****************
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*******************
TOES
ON THE
NOSE
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BEACH
Jim & Pam Cocores
903 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach,
CA 92651 (949) 497-3292 Fx (949) 376-0423
JPC LICENSEE
*******************
LAGUNA PROPERTIES
Bob BAKER
BROKER/OWNER
(949) 494-8057. Ext. 14 Cell
(714) 606-7861 Res. (949) 240-0144 Fx. (949)
494-6339 e-mail
lagprop@flash.net 1096 S. Coast Hwy.,
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
================
Rock
Martin
Custom Designed Jewelry
Rock Martin
Owner/
Designer EST. 1970
268
FOREST
Ave.
Open 7 Days
(949) 8622
Laguna
Beach, CA 02651
=================
Michael Webster
Venture Capitalist
BUSINESS CONSULTANT & POLITICAL STRATEGIST
CALL
FOR CONSULTATION:
949 494-7121
301
Forest Ave. LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651 e-mail -
mvwsr@aol.com
Local Business
& Politics
BUSINESS MATTERS
*
Tax Strategies * Corporations, LLC’s formed all
50 states and off-shore* Bank Introductions on
and off-shore
* Funding
- Start-up/expansion
* Trusts
on and Off-shore
* SBA loan
packaging
* Business
appraisals
*
Feasibility Studies
* Asset
Protection
* Business
plans
*
Factoring
CITY HALL MATTERS
Conditional Use Permit Zone change/zoning
ordinance
General Plan Amendments
Coastal Development
Geotechnical Reports Building Permits
+Sign
Permits
+Variance
======================
Orange County Marine
Institute
R/V Sea Explorer
" Investing in
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Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629. Call (949)
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**********
LAGUNA LEATHER SHOP
LAGUNA VILLAGE (949) 497-3625
*************
Get
the word out!
Advertise with
the
Laguna Journal (949) 494-7121
wibcom@aol.com FOR
AD RATES CLICK ON NIGHTSPOTS
****************************************
HOTEL
LAGUNA
BEACH CLUB -
CONFERENCE CENTER
425 S. COAST HIGHWAY
LAGUNA BEACH, CA
92651
(949) 494-1151
Fax (949) 497-2163
Andersen Hotels, Inc.
_________________________
Inn At
Laguna
Beach
211 North Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, California 92651
(800) 544-4479 / (949) 497-9722
Fax: (949) 497-9972
Email:
info@innatlagunabeach.com
**********************
Get the word out!
Advertise with
the
Laguna Journal (949) 494-7121
wibcom@aol.com
****************************************
Sea
Horse Resort
Leave
the hustle and
bustle
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602
Avenida Victoria
San
Clemente, CA 92672
(949)
492-1720 Fax:
(949)498-8857
E-mail:seahorse@fea.net
Photos
of our
Accommodation Location Map
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YOUR SOURCE FOR NATIONAL &
CALIFORNIA BREAKING NEWS
Los Angeles, Long Beach And Other Police Officers
Found Guilty Of Home Invasion Robberies & Trafficking In Drugs
by
Michael Webster: Investigative Reporter
Feb
1, 2008 6:00 PM PST
A Los Angeles, Calif., jury has found Los Angeles Police Department
Officer William Ferguson and his brother, Long Beach Police
Department Officer Joseph Ferguson, guilty of conspiring to violate
civil rights, conspiring to possess narcotics with intent to distribute,
and possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, the Justice
Department announced. William Ferguson was also found guilty of several
firearm offenses and deprivation of rights under color of law.
According to Justice Dept records William Ferguson faces a sentence of
up to life imprisonment and a significant fine. Joseph Ferguson faces a
sentence of up to 50 years imprisonment and a fine. A sentencing
hearing was scheduled for April 21, 2008. Fifteen other
co-conspirators, including other law enforcement officers from the Los
Angeles Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Department of
Corrections have previously pleaded guilty to federal crimes in
connection with the conspiracy.
"I've never heard testimony like I've
heard in this case," said U.S. District Court Judge Gary A. Feess, who
has practiced law since 1974 and was appointed to the federal bench 12
years ago.
Feess then disclosed to jurors that he is also the judge who oversees
the federal consent decree imposed on the LAPD in the wake of the 1999
Rampart corruption scandal.
"People may now have an understanding of why we have that decree," he
said.
Feess also reiterated his commitment to the police reforms "to see that
this sort of thing never happens again."
Court papers
indicated the evidence at trial consisted of testimony from victims and
multiple co-conspirators, including former Los Angeles Police Department
Officer Ruben Palomares the prosecution's star witness, who
testified for two days while handcuffed and wearing leg irons.
The evidence showed that the Ferguson brothers were part of a
wide-ranging criminal conspiracy that committed over 40 burglaries and
robberies throughout the Central District of California between early
1999 and June of 2001. The robberies generally were committed after the
group received information that a particular location was involved in
the narcotics trade. After planning the operation and conducting
surveillance, the robbery team – which usually consisted of multiple
sworn police officers in uniform or displaying a badge – gained access
to the residence by falsely telling any occupants that they were
conducting a legitimate search for drugs or drug dealers. Victims were
often restrained, handcuffed, threatened or assaulted during the
search. These assaults included firing a stun gun at a victim, striking
victims with police batons, and putting a gun in the mouth of a victim.
When the group stole narcotics, they would use co-conspirators to sell
the drugs and they would then split the profits among the group.
During the
course of the conspiracy, Palomares provided associates with official
LAPD badges, uniforms, radios, firearms and other equipment. Some of the
robberies were committed after the thieves drove to the location in
official LAPD vehicles. The robbers used the LAPD equipment to make
victims believe they were the subject of legitimate law enforcement
operations and to minimize the defendants’ risk of being questioned if
confronted by law enforcement officers.
"The depth of corruption and audacity among these law enforcement
officers is nothing less than stunning," said United States Attorney
Debra Wong Yang. "While having a badge imparts some degree of power to
an officer of the law, it also imparts a great deal of responsibility.
In addition to rejecting their responsibilities to the law, these
officers rejected their sacred responsibilities to their communities and
their departments."
“These defendants, who were sworn to serve and protect the people of Los
Angeles, went from enforcing the law to breaking the law,” said Grace
Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights
Division. “While the vast majority of law enforcement officers carry
out their difficult duties in a professional manner, the Department of
Justice will not hesitate to prosecute those who cross that line.”
“This case exposed a dark world of corrupt law enforcement officers who
defiled their badges and compromised the good work of their colleagues,”
said U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien. “The home invasion robberies
committed by these former officers shocks the conscience and will lead
to lengthy prison sentences that they so richly deserve.”
"The reality
is, no police department is immune from bad cops," stated Los Angeles
Police Chief William J. Bratton. "I have no tolerance for intentional
misconduct and will deal with it forcefully and aggressively.
Supervision, safeguards and civilian oversight are used to monitor
employees and ensure quality police service. No good cop wants to work
with a bad cop. No good cop wants a bad cop in their Department. Today's
announcement proves we are committed to getting rid of those who would
tarnish the LAPD badge."
Long Beach Police Chief Anthony Batts stated: "When a police officer
violates the laws that he has sworn to uphold, it erodes the public
trust that we in law enforcement work so hard to build. The men and
women of the Long Beach Police Department take great pride in their work
and are fully committed to the safety of our community. Reckless actions
by individuals that undermine the integrity of this department and
damage the public trust will not be tolerated."
The other three defendants named in the indictment are fugitives at this
time. They are:
- Michelle Barajas, 38, of Paramount;
- Armando Contreras-Lopez, 35, of Paramount; and
- Oscar Loaiza, 35, of Montebello, who is a cousin of Palomares.
These three defendants are accused, along with the three law enforcement
defendants, of conspiring to violate civil rights and conspiring to
possess both marijuana and cocaine with the intent to distribute the
narcotics.
The indictment alleges a series of incidents in which the robbery crew
broke into houses and commercial establishments with the goal of
obtaining narcotics and other valuables. Palomares was involved in all
of the incidents, with the Fergusons and Loaiza participating in many of
them. In one burglary, members of the gang allegedly stole 600 pounds of
marijuana. In another incident, several co-conspirators allegedly stole
television sets from an 18-wheel truck in Montebello. And, in another
robbery outside a Fontana market, Palomares and another man dressed as a
police officer robbed a man of $45,000 worth of pseudoephedrine pills,
which are the key precursor chemical in the manufacture of
methamphetamine.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a
crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven
guilty in court.
Over the past 18 months, 13 other defendants have been charged in
criminal information in this case and filed in federal court.
- Ruben Palomares, 36 of Diamond Bar, who was arrested on federal
narcotics charges in 2001 and was terminated by the LAPD in 2003;
- Gabriel Loaiza, 30, of Montebello, who received law enforcement
training and unsuccessfully applied to be a non-sworn employee of the
Long Beach Police Department in 2000, was arrested with Palomares in
2001;
- Jesse Moya, 29, of Whittier, who was a Los Angeles Police Officer
until late 2004;
- Manuel Hernandez, 25, of Pico Rivera, who is a cousin of Palomares;
- Alvin Moon, 30, of San Gabriel, who also received law enforcement
training and unsuccessfully applied to the Los Angeles Police
Department, was arrested along with Palomares and Gabriel Loaiza in
2001;
- Manny Martinez-Godinez, 25;
- Jessica Treat, 31, of Whittier;
- Steve Quintero, 30, of Montebello, a custodial police officer with the
Garden Grove Police Department;
- Geronimo Sevilla, 32, of Whittier, who met Palomares while he was a
LAPD explorer scout and who unsuccessfully applied to the department in
2000;
- Jesus Estrada Dominguez, 40;
- Pablo Estrada, 29, of La Puente, a friend of Gabriel Loaiza;
- Juan Pablo Mendoza, 29, of Muscoy, who is a cousin of Palomares; and
- David Barajas, 32, of Paramount, a longtime friend of Palomares who is
currently in custody on unrelated narcotics charges.
“The FBI counts public corruption as its top criminal program priority,
and this case illustrates that commitment. Investigators and detectives
tirelessly pursued a small number of law enforcement officers who, in
betrayal of their sworn duty to serve the public, used their badges and
guns as instruments of terror and personal gain,” said Salvador
Hernandez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles. “The
FBI, along with its law enforcement partners, will continue to root out
the small percentage of sworn personnel that act outside the law.”
This case was investigated by Special Agent Phil Carson of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of Steve Sambar, Roger Mora
and Mark Bigel of the Los Angeles and Long Beach Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas M. Miller of
Los Angeles and Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Jeffrey S.
Blumberg and Joshua D. Mahan.
The Civil Rights Division is committed to the vigorous enforcement of
the federal criminal civil rights statutes, such as laws that prohibit
willful acts of misconduct by law enforcement officials. In Fiscal Year
2007, the Criminal Section convicted the highest number of defendants in
its history, surpassing the record previously set in Fiscal Year 2006.
The Department of Justice has compiled a significant record on criminal
civil rights law enforcement misconduct prosecutions in the last seven
years. During the last seven years, the Criminal Section obtained
convictions of 53 percent more defendants (391 v. 256) in color of law
cases than the previous seven years.
SOURCE
U.S. Department of Justice
L.A. P.D
L.B.P.D
L.A. Times
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