The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 33

LONG BEACH Also serving Bellflower Cerritos Compton Hawaiian Gardens Lakewood Lynwood Paramount and Signal Hill Cos Angeles Times Thursday November 17 1983 1 HL Part IX Developers Unveil Lush Plans for Towne Center Compton Court Faces Re-Audit by Grand Jury By DAVID FERRELL Times Staff Writer glimpses of the future went on parade here Tuesday as competing developers wooed the city for the chance to build Towne Center a 125-acre shopping convention and entertainment complex that would rival the powerful Los Cerritos Mall as a new source of city revenue Towne Center located just two miles from Los Cerritos would become the city's second major regional shopping area under plans submitted by some of the nation's largest shopping-mall builders Developers also hailed the project as a potential civic showpiece that could contain a luxury hotel and convention complex a cultural arts theater major office buildings theme restaurants and movie theaters Preliminary designs for the project were drafted under city guidelines for what might be built on the vacant city land and how much revenue it should generate Developers who unveiled their proposals to duplicate anywhere in Southern California" Haagen said "This will be our major major undertaking and it will receive our major attention" Three rival developers made similar promises as they presented their plans with detailed reports artists renderings and slide shows The other competitors for the site are Forest City Dillon Inc a nationwide mall developer with headquarters in Cleveland General Growth Development Corp a second nationwide developer based in Des Moines Iowa and Kowin Development Corp a regional developer located in Montebello Cerritos which spent $40 million to acquire the Towne Center site a year ago has envisioned it as the final development jewel in more than a decade of rapid growth The project located in the Please see CENTER Page 3 at Tuesday's special City Council meeting said the regional demand for such a complex could ensure the city its minimum asking price of $12 million in yearly income Two of the four would-be builders said they could create more than $3 million in yearly city revenue about double what is currently generated by the Los Cerritos Mall Those revenues are possible despite competition from Los Cerritos and other regional shopping centers the developers said "We will make this the most exciting development project when I say 'ever' I mean anywhere" vowed Alexander Haagen managing general partner of the Alexander Haagen Development Corp of Manhattan Beach which has built Manhattan Village and several other shopping areas throughout the state "This could be the kind of total development the likes of which would be difficult if not impossible Housing Emigres Obeys God's Law Church Contends By RICHARD SIMON Times staff Writer The Los Angeles County grand jury has been asked by county supervisors to look into the "severe operational problems" in the Compton Municipal Court The Board of Supervisors' request Tuesday followed a Sept 30 county audit which reported lost revenue inadequate training and supervision low employee morale and absenteeism long waiting lines and a "multitude of other problems" related to clerical and accounting operations County Auditor Mark Bloodgomrs report also produced an unprecedented recommendation to remove the courts chief clerk But nearly a month and a half later court administrator Reginald Cobb is still on the job Presiding Judge John II Leahy said the Compton judges are still evaluating whether firing or transferring Cobb "a 19 -year veteran of the court system" would solve the courts problems Cobb in a I3-page response to the audit blamed the problems on a heavy workload health problems he and others had and an "inefficient" office supervisor who has been transferred to another county job Leahy contacted at the courthouse Tuesday said he welcomes a new audit because it will determine whether the court has improved its operations Audits by Private Firm The grand jury whose audits are conducted by a private firm already had planned to examine the operations of all 24 municipal courts in the count Supervisor Deane Dana won unanimous approval from the board Tuesday to ask the grand jury to start with Compton An official in the county auditor's office privately questioned the need for another audit Dana said he wanted a "second opinion" "I recognize that this board is not constitutionally in a position to exercise direct administrative control over the operations of the courts" Dana said in his motion "However we should recognize our responsibility to take appropriate action to ensure that every effort is made to correct the inefficient use of public funds especially when the board must appropriate those funds as in the case of our local courts" Among other problems the county audit cited waits of up to three hours for people paying fines "We noted instances where clerks would leave for breaks lunch or lengthy personal phone calls while in the process of assisting individuals at the counter: the report said Cobb in his response to the earlier audit said there were people working at the counter who were "not as experienced as they should have been" but that they have been properly trained or reassigned Some of those changes were made before the audit was issued Cobb said Leahy said Tuesday that the average wait is down to about 10 minutes County auditors said the court lost the right to collect an estimated S164953 in surety bonds because of failure to send notices of forfeiture to bonding companies within the required 30 days The court they said also failed to issue bench warrants in an attempt to collect $400000 in potential revenue from delinquent fines Please see COURT Page 13 I i 0 10mosilecn -''t ''ie4 A i4 g'' '''-4-) 4e A t' 0 3 74 1' 1: HARRY FISHER Los Angeles Times Toni Avila left heads Refugee Task Force Teresa Santillana the pastors wife is alsoa member In the name of God in the name of this suffering-people whose laments rise to the heavens each day 1 beg you I beseech you I order you to stop the repression" Oscar Romero ea the eve of Ms assassination at the altar es Marsh 24 1980 By VIRGINIA ESCALANTE Times Staff Writer PICO Rev Fernando Santillana and the 70 members of his congregation have been breaking the law since March risking jail terms and fines On the third anniversary of El Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero's death the congregation declared the Pico Rivera United Methodist Church a sanctuary for Latin American refugees Under immigration law providing asylum or any other kind of aid to an undocumented emigre can carry a penalty of five years in prison andor a $2000 fine Santillana estimates that he has sheltered so many undocumented immigrants from Latin America that he could qualify for a 75-year jail sentence and a S30000 fine Neither Santillana and his wife Teresa nor the congregation are afraid the minister said believing that the law of God is above any human law 'Responsibility Toward God' "Sometimes human law does not concur with the law of God" the minister said "There is no part of the Bible that doesn't lead us to the conclusion that once we accept Christ we have to accept this responsibility toward God and creation "We can't let others suffer because if we do we allow God to suffer We then have to decide what we can do to help our brothers and what action we should take" Teresa Santillana who is community developer for the church and a member of its Refugee Task Force said she does not fear the possible penalties "If you start thinking or worrying about those kinds of things happening to you you're never going to take a chance or a risk" she said "When I found out about the consequences I thought 'This is God's justice in this world and I'm trying to serve God If anything has to happen to me and if I have to go to jail I know He'll be with me and I'll just go' In the spirit of Romero's philosophy the congregation continues to denounce the violence in Central America which has left an estimated 40000 dead since 1979 "We need to denounce injustices to human beings to God's children" Teresa Santillana 41 said "If people call that political then that's what I am But first I am a Christian taking a stand denouncing these injustices" The predominantly Latino congregation voted in January to establish a sanctuary after Santillana conducted a discussion about war-torn Latin America in lieu of a sermon The congregation had already studied a report about Latin America compiled by several denominations and had helped a Salvadoran family that had been living in a garage i 0 6 lit :7 1 I 1r0114 f-: 1 :::1 '14 I rt jti 4 7 i 10 4' 4: 4 ti II G3 k)600 41 0 171 Lynwood Proposal Aimed Against Vice The Salvadoran father was working 10 hours a day seven days a week at rates below the minimum wage For a year and a half the congregation assisted the family with food and clothing They also helped the breadwinner find another job found an apartment for the family and donated furniture for it The church was officially declared a sanctuary in March The congregation converted a classroom into living quarters that since have sheltered six families including some from El Salvador and Guatemala The most recent arrivals are a Guatemalan Indian couple who were given shelter last Thursday after they were referred to the church by the Clinica Oscar Romero a health clinic in Los Angeles for Latin American refugees For the past month he couple and their 16-monthold infant had been sleeping on a bamboo mat in an empty lot in Los Angeles Santillana said they told him they had fled Guatemala because government troops were sweeping through villages searching for guerrillas The 25-year-old man and his 18-year-old wife said the army killed the natives regardless of their answers during interrogation Those who said they had not seen the guerrillas were accused of lying and were shot to death the minister said Those who said they had seen the guerrillas were accused of helping them and were also killed "One family will tell us what they've been through and then another one comes and tells their story" Please see CHURCH Page 6 Rev Santillana's church operates refuge City Hopes to Save $185000 Symphony Asked for Cash Projections Compton Shifts Prisoners to Sheriff By LEE HARRIS TittleS Staff Writer City Council reluctantly gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a zoning ordinance amendment aimed at curbing prostitution in motels and hotels along a five- to six-block stretch of Long Beach Boulevard The council voted 4-0 to prohibit hotel operators from renting rooms more than once in a 24-hour period "I don't think it will work but I'm willing to give it a try" Councilman Jim Rowe said Rowe who made the amendment motion and other councilmen said they feared that the proposed regulation would be unenforceable and that legitimate hotel operators would be penalized by it "It upsets me" Councilman John Byork said "It seems that you are painting everyone with the same brush You are accusing the innocent ones" Moratorium on New Hotels The measure amends an ordinance passed by the council in June that places a moratorium on construction of new hotels and motels in the city The ordinance was passed after citizens protested to the council and held marches against prostituion "How Will you enforce this?" Rowe asked of the amendment "Examine the books? Stand at the door?" City Prosecutor Martin Mayer who drafted the amendment said the Sheriffs Department will enforce the regulation "That's what will be done" Mayer said "The books will be examined Undercover vice officers will be used also" Mayer also told the council that the law "will only affect those people who are renting hourly to prostitutes No legitimate hotels are affected" Los Angeles Vice Detective Robert Fischer told the Please see MOTELS Page 12 By DAVID EINSTEIN Times stuff IVriter a move designed to save money and create office space the Compton Police Department has virtually closed its 75-bed jail Suspects in felonies and more serious misdemeanors who used to be housed in the jail for up to 48 hours are being taken after booking to the Sheriff's Department substation in nearby Carson where they remain until they are arraigned Compton police officials say the new method which began late last month will be tested for a year If it is declared a success the 5000-square-foot city jail will he converted to badly needed office space according to Lt Dallas Elvis Felony suspects generally are sent to the County Jail following arraignment but the Sheriff's Department must legally accept custody of prisoners after their arrest Under the new arrangement which was worked out with officials in the Sheriff's Department Compton officers transport prisoners to Carson three times a day So far the average has been five prisoners per (lay during the week with higher numbers on weekends Compton police officials said overcrowding was not a factor in deciding to begin the program The Sheriff's Department does not charge Compton for housing the prisoners since the service is covered by taxes that all cities pay to the county Sheriff's Department officials say the arrangement poses no significant burden on the Carson substation which has Please see JAIL Page 7 Waiting Room Improved but Not Enough for Disgruntled Jurors By ANNE LaRIVIERR Times Staff Writer LONG Long Beach Symphony which came close to financial ruin in January has been asked to give the city monthly cash flow projections The projections are needed so the city can compare the symphony's month-to-month financial progress with its long-term goals according to a report City Auditor Robert Fronke presented to the City Council on Tuesday "One of the problems (in January) was that the symphony wasn't aware their financial situation was as bad as it was and we don't want to duplicate that" Fronke said Since January the symphony has given Fronke a monthly report of receipts and disbursements which Fronke has passed on to the council This month however he asked the association for a report tallying receipts and disbursements for the first quarter of this fiscal year along with cash flow projections for the rest of the year Need for Increase Noted Fronke said the projections show that to meet its current operating costs and repay a loan from the city the association will have to increase its projected cash receipts over expenditures by about $20000 a month beginning in July 1984 Jim Feichtmann the symphony's executive director said the organization is gearing up to meet that goal Fronke said he recommended the monthly cash flow projections because "the association as well as the city need that much feedback on how well they are doing versus their overall plan" Acting on Fronke's recommendation symphony 37 officials say they will begin doing the monthly reports immediately The report showed that the symphony spent $105000 more than it took in during thd first quarter of the 1983-84 fiscal year From July through September it spent nearly of that in general expenses Please see SYMPHONY Page 3 By MATHIS CHAZANOV Times Staff Writer SOUTH once had to wait in the hallways with handcuffed criminals or out in the parking lot under the hot sun before they were summoned to hear cases at South Gate Municipal Court To solve the problem county officials recently spent $25000 to refurbish the South Gate Women's Club just across the Southern Pacific railroad tracks and put it at the jurors disposal But there are still some complaints "We find the conditions deplorable" 42 jurors protested in a letter last week The jurors who served earlier this month listed parking problems uncomfortable metal folding chairs crowded conditions not enough tables to play cards on insufficient air conditioning foul-tasting water from the water fountain street noise and air pollution from traffic and smokers' cigarettes original jurors waiting hall was taken over for a new courtroom The old room held 25 and the rest of the 75 or more potential jurors called on any particular day had to mingle with suspects witnesses and attorneys in the public hallway or sit outside on folding chairs "We get the dregs out here any court does" Gafkowski said recalling jurors' complaints of being forced to hear "rude things and crude things" in the corridors The basic problem was space he said The court has quadrupled its caseload in the last decade and each of its four divisions handles 20 to 30 cases a week This means the courts two judges and two commissioners spend most of their energy "knocking heads twisting arms using muscle" to help settle cases before they go to a jury Gafkowski said Please see JURORS Page 4 "Expecting prospective jurors to tolerate such conditions is highly inconsiderate" they said in their letter sent to Presiding Judge Frank Galkowski Jr county officials and the news media "Since the 'pay of $5 per day plus one-way mileage reimbursement is barely adequate to cover expenses we are in effect volunteering our time to fulfill the requirement of jury duty" the letter said "Does the court system hold the citizens in such low esteem that we are expected to overlook such poor treatment?" 'A Tremendous Improvement' The letter came as a surprise Gafkowski said in an interview "They should have served here a year ago" he said "It's night and day It's a tremendous improvement" The June 1 move to the women's club came after the.