Home Care In Lomita, CA

LOMITA, Calif. — When Paul Rajewski's company bought an eight-unit housing development in Lomita last year, he said he knew it meant taking on a collection of fixer-uppers.

But Rajewski shared that he was shocked to discover some of the unsanitary living conditions the tenants he inherited had settled into.

“When the person left, this was full of old, beat-up furniture that we had to remove," Rajewski said giving a tour of one of the now-empty units. “I mean look at this, it’s mouse crap. This isn’t something we condone."

MORE HOUSING STORIES:

The unit on 250th Street that Rajewski showed Spectrum News 1 was vacated weeks ago, but still smells like animal feces and urine.

Rajewski says his team at Pinnacle Investments had to dump 10 tons of flea-infested furniture and belongings when the previous tenant was evicted for not paying rent.

“This place was so bad and infested with fleas and bugs, the carpet was terrible, you can see where the cat used to enjoy himself on the floor," Rajewski said.

His company's plan is to completely renovate the two-bedroom cottage and the seven others around it. Rajewski said their crews are mitigating a termite problem, replacing roofs and fixing cracked foundations in the poorly-maintained units.

With significant renovation comes a rent increase, one that Rajewski believes will bring the housing development closer to fair market rent and to livable conditions.

But before any units were fixed up, rent already went up.

For tenant Bill Johnson, it rose from $1,500 to $2,000 per month, which is more than the new state rent control law allows as of this year.

“I’m on social security disability, the only income I have is that. I have no credit, I can’t even rent a dog house,” Johnson said. “I’m on social security disability, the only income I have is that. I have no credit, I can’t even rent a dog house,” Johnson said.

Johnson moved into his unit in 2014 and until Pinnacle Investments bought the property his rent had never increased.

He's had to take on part-time work despite his disability to make ends meet.

“I try to work as many days, as many hours as I can. Bottom line, they don’t care if we live or die,” said Johnson.

With a lack of affordable housing the issue of rent control versus capitalism and incentives for developers to invest is playing out across the City of Los Angeles.

The issue in Lomita came to a boiling point over the Christmas holiday.

Pinnacle issued 60-day notices in October asking tenants to move out so renovations could begin. The residents took the issue up with city officials.

Lomita's city council stepped in with an urgency ordinance that overturned evictions until the new statewide rent control law went into effect on January 1.

The Mayor of Lomita, James Gazeley, told Spectrum News 1 he was uncomfortable issuing the ordinance because he wasn't able to hear from both sides and city officials hadn't visited the property.

Under the new California rent control law, Pinnacle had to roll back rents to the rates tenants had in March 2019, plus five percent and the rate of inflation.

“Investors aren’t going to build something if they’re not going to make money. Investors don’t look at the world that way," Rajewski said. "And I don’t think we should let our tenants live in bad conditions, I don’t think that’s a good way to operate our business.”

Johnson told us he doesn’t want to leave his unit and he also doesn’t want it renovated. He just wants to pay his previous rent.

But Pinnacle has raised concerns about the living conditions inside. Johnson declined to let Spectrum News 1 see them.

Johnson insists he shouldn’t be forced to move.

“They want to throw us all out and take their time fixing it up and charge $2400," Johnson said.

According to Pinnacle, Johnson and his neighbors have been offered multiple options for relocation, including units in other areas Pinnacle manages that are more affordable.

Rajewski said his company gets turned down.

“Bill could save $300 if he moved to Long Beach. Bill could save a lot of money if he got a roommate," Rajewski said. "I don’t think it’s right to hold a property owner hostage for the way someone else wants to live.”

Pinnacle plans to move forward with renovation plans, which means new 60-day notices for the tenants.

Rajewski said he’s willing to work with them on solutions, but won't halt the work his company is putting into his investment.

LOMITA, Calif. — In the small South Bay city of Lomita lies an abundance of neighborly charm. As holidays near, neighbors can be found creating shamrock and scavenger hunts for teddy bears and other things. At one point, neighbors donated the fruit from their fruit trees with high school students' help to share with the whole community when grocery shelves were being emptied.

What You Need To Know

Someone in the community found a new way to bring everyone together by decorated potatoes in random places for people to find.

At first, it was one potato, then two potatoes, then three before Christie Cammaressi's family realized someone had been placing them in the neighborhood for people to see.

"A couch potato means like you're being lazy. You're doing nothing," Cammaressi explained to one of her daughters as they continued their walk. The girl laughed.

For the last three weeks, Cammaressi and the team head out on walks searching for more to see. Despite being confused, initially.

"The first time we saw the potato's we were a little weirded out because it's a potato right, and it was just sitting out on my front lawn," Cammaressi said.

They found small potatoes that had written messages like "Are you buttering me up," "Couch," "Bug," and some that seemed like playfully decorated potatoes coated in gold coloring or with a happy face. As they saw more, they began to keep their eyes peeled in hopes of taking part in the new community trend.

"The more we came across, the more little cute messages they had on them, and it kind of gave us a reason to get out of the house and go for a walk," Cammaressi said.

Related Stories

They pick up what they find and hide it for others to see. But they still had no idea who had been behind the "spudden" tots in the community — that continues to remain a mystery.

"I think it's a cute idea. I like that they are just trying to spread some positivity," Cammaressi said.

So, to the potato artist yet to be seen, Cammaressi and some neighbors said they want to say thank you for the "a-peeling" tots and laughter shared.

LOMITA, Calif. - Recently, some Lomita residents have been thinking twice about the water they drink and the air they breathe. Seth Brownlie is one of them.

“I grew up in Michigan around Flint. So, it definitely gets me thinking of that. I don’t want Lomita to become the situation they are dealing with,” Brownlie said.

That’s probably why he also sticks to bottled water.

Brownlie’s home is near the source of a groundwater and soil vapor contamination site in Torrance that spread east to the City of Lomita. The groundwater that’s contaminated isn’t the same source that the city uses for drinking water. But the odorless soil vapors could impact the air residents breathe in the vicinity of 245th Street to 250th Street, extending to Pennsylvania Avenue.

This area is just a short drive from Brownlie’s home.

“You have to breathe air and if there’s problems with the ground contamination or the vapors and things like that, then it’s definitely concerning,” Brownlie said.“You have to breathe air and if there’s problems with the ground contamination or the vapors and things like that, then it’s definitely concerning,” Brownlie said.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board required the industrial Hi-Shear Corporation to collect more samples and data to understand how far these contaminants have spread.

Here’s what the water board knows so far.

The contamination stems from high levels of TCE and PCE — two compounds that were used by the Hi-Shear Corporation in the past to degrease metal. Stephen Van Der Hoven is a hydrogeologist consultant for Hi-Shear, he said the contaminants haven’t been used by the corporation in decades.

However, the compounds have contaminated the groundwater flowing toward the City of Lomita, but it’s not the same source as the city’s drinking water. Plus, the water is currently being imported from another area. Officials with the water board said the water is safe to drink.

Officials are also investigating six other industrial sites along Skypark Drive that might have used the same chemicals as a contributing factor. Renee Purdy is an executive officer on the water board. As she described a map of the contamination areas, she explained how there are many unknowns regarding how far the contaminants have spread.

“It’s fairly well known in the area of the site itself but what these dotted lines mean is that we don’t yet know the extent of the contamination laterally into the City of Lomita,” Purdy said.

Officials believe the source of the contamination is coming from the Hi-Shear site. Hoven said Hi-Shear has removed over 100,000 pounds of contamination from the Torrance site so far and they continue do so.

But the cleanup on-site and in the communities will be ongoing as they continue to negotiate a permit with the City of Lomita to install soil probes and groundwater well monitoring sites throughout the city to understand the depth and distance the contaminants have reached.

“We’re moving forward as quickly as we can. The investigative phase that we are just about to conduct will take about three to four months to complete and then from that, we will then take appropriate actions, in terms of, do we need to do additional investigation? Do we have enough information to now start cleaning up the site? But it’s going to be on the order of years,” Hoven said.

According to the Centers For Disease Control, moderate to large amounts of exposure from TCE could result in dizziness, headaches, coma, and more severely, death. Since these chemicals are travelling as a gas, water board officials said residents in these areas could ventilate their homes as they gather more information on the contamination and assess cleanup sites.

For residents like Brownlie, that could be another three to four months before samples are fully analyzed.

“I think we’ll wait and see how this plays out. I’ll definitely be following it closely. We’ll see what happens,” Brownlie said.

The Hi-Shear corporation and the L.A.Water Board are currently creating a mailing list and fact sheet which will detail the events of the contamination and known impacts to residents living within 500 ft. of the contamination area.

That fact sheet will be made available to residents within the next month.

Hot water plays an important role in your everyday life. From showering to laundry to dishwashing, your water heater keeps working all day to meet your requirements for hot and warm water for different purposes. If something goes wrong with your water heating unit, you should immediately get it checked. Many times, water heaters are old, have consistent issues, or become inefficient due to aging. We at California Air Conditioning Systems are licensed and insured heating and air conditioning repair and replacement specialists in Lomita, CA that can assess your unit to guide you on the right course of action.

Water Heater Replacement Experts

With over two decades of industry experience in repairing, replacing, and servicing water heaters in the region, we are your one-stop destination for all your HVAC replacement requirements. We offer our services to both residential and commercial clients throughout Orange County, Los Angeles County, beach cities, and areas of San Bernardino, and Riverside.

If your water heater is giving you trouble, we have the expertise, experience, and tools required to provide you the right services. We offer top-quality products including tankless, standard tank, and hybrid water heaters. We know how each type of unit works and can replace your unit ensuring proper connections and a thorough set-up. All our services are backed by the guarantee of customer satisfaction.

We provide water heater replacement services for the following types of requirements:

When it comes to water heater problems, we understand the importance of quick response. Therefore, we focus on providing same-day replacement services in most cases.

Our licensed plumbers and technicians can fix most of the water heater issues. There are many times when we see greater value for our clients in replacing an old or troubling unit. We help you take such a decision to help you save money, time, and stress. Here are some of the common factors that may require your unit to be replaced:

Sometimes, sediment buildup in the tank may have reached a point where a flush may not help. This usually occurs with water heaters that have not been flushed once a year.

At California Air Conditioning Systems, our plumbers and technicians are specialized in replacing different types of water heaters. Our crew has decades of combined experience and undergoes regular training to keep up to date with the latest systems and technologies. If you notice any of the signs mentioned above, call us today at (310) 530-0504. You may also write to us using this Online Form and we will get back to you at the earliest.

Donna Hargis organizes many Southern California bluegrass events and is the MVP of the Southern California Bluegrass Association scene. A recent convert to the bluegrass fold, Donna exudes enthusiasm and energy that inspires both young and old to play, learn about, and get involved in bluegrass music. We need more of her ilk for sure.

Tell us about your role in the California Bluegrass Association.

I’m one of the regional directors for Southern California, and I promote bluegrass in any way I can. I just got back from a new jam that was started by someone who attended South State 48 and got inspired. He couldn’t find a bluegrass jam in his area, so he started one. This kind of stuff makes me so happy. I also host a monthly jam and hire a band for that. I generally just try to connect people.

That’s great. Tell us more about that jam.

It’s called the Southbay Bluegrass Jam and is the first Tuesday of the month at Project Barley in Lomita, California. We have a jam (all are welcome) and a band plays for an hour, then we jam some more. Dennis Fetchet of the Bluegrass Cardinal is there regularly. He’s a “So CA bluegrass treasure.”

That South State 48 Event was really cookin’. How long have you been involved with that?

From the beginning. I was on a team during COVID with the purpose of creating something in Southern California. It was decided to try and model it after the Great 48—a hotel jamming event—but also with outdoor jamming. I scoured the internet for local hotels that had a nice outdoor space, then called a bunch and asked about 24-hour jamming if we sold enough rooms. This was kind of scary because it was during COVID and we really didn’t know what would happen or if people would come. I found a few hotels that were willing to work with us, so I drove out and met with the management. Carlsbad-by-the-Sea really stood out as having everything we hoped for. Plenty of outdoor space, a nice conference room, and a cool bar with lots of food choices. It just had a really nice vibe and they were very accommodating. And of course, we sold out quickly both years!

Southern Cal CBA has grown a lot in the last couple of years. Who are the movers and shakers down there, besides of course yourself?

We have a few SoCal women on the board now, and that’s fantastic! Also, Mark Shutts, whose steadfast commitment to opening up his machine shop to traveling bluegrass bands has been paramount. Bands would otherwise skip Southern California, but Mark gives them a gig, an audience, and every cent that’s collected. Jeff Fleck is doing something similar with his Crazy J Ranch in Topanga. Both of these men do this simply because they love bluegrass.

Wow. What else are you working on?

I just started a bluegrass club at my school, where I’m a science teacher. I also hired a band to play an assembly. Any efforts to grow bluegrass should include a concerted effort to attract young people to our genre, as well as people from other types of music.

As you know, CBA has a wonderful Youth Program. Is this part of that?

Hope so? I have 7 kids after our first meeting and two teachers. I suspect after we have our assembly with Water Tower Band, there will be more kids. So far our PTA and Booster club paid for the assembly, but I got loaner instruments from CBA.

Southern California is so spread out. It must be difficult but it sounds like you’re all doing some great work.

Thanks. Southern California really took a loss when Danny Hootenanny Clark moved up north. Danny has a lifetime of expertise in promoting bluegrass, and he’s sorely missed. I hope that we can get more people willing to step up and try to fill the void, but it would probably take a whole team to match the efforts of the CBA ‘Volunteer of the Year,’ Danny Clark!

Who are some of the up-and-coming bands?

The Honey Buckets and Water Tower Band are two bands I’m really proud of, and see any chance I get. Both are so high energy and fun, as well as being fantastic musicians. I’m also really curious to see what Matt Michienzie does in the future.

What was your favorite festival of 2022?

The Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley. It’s everything I imagined a bluegrass festival to be.

You were late to the bluegrass scene. How did you come into it?

In 2015 I left my marriage, and two months later I found myself with a guitar in my hand. I didn’t plan to get so into it, but I fell deeply in love with playing, singing, and jamming. I’m very fortunate that I already loved bluegrass, an inviting genre that makes it easy for a beginner to join in and learn. Since then, I’ve been very dedicated to trying to improve my playing. I’m a very social creature, and the bluegrass community provides ample opportunities for me to meet all kinds of people, and also to be of service, which is important to me.

Who are some of your favorites?

Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Red Allen, and Sierra Ferrell.

What instrument do you play?

I play guitar and sing. I’ve learned just enough bass and mandolin to teach the kids. I love traditional bluegrass and I love singing tenor, or high baritone if someone already has the tenor part covered.

How much do you play a week?

I practice a lot and go to a few jams. Jamming is sporadic, but my practice is not. I rarely miss a day of practice.

What do you think attracts you so the bluegrass fold?

I love the diversity. I might be in a big crazy testosterone-filled jam where guys are playing at breakneck speed and I’m on the outside just trying to keep up. The next day I might be barefoot in the park singing harmonies with one of my girlfriends. Teaching the kids to play is also satisfying and rewarding. Being at a festival, making new friends, and seeing old ones—I love it all. I even love to practice. I’m really lucky to have found this lifestyle.

Are you in any bands?

Currently, no, but I have something brewing.

What do you do when you’re not playing or promoting bluegrass?

For a job? I teach science and it suits me. Also art. I love to make things, all kinds of things. Clothes, candles, pottery. . . I love to write, but I do that sporadically; I don’t chase the muse on that one. And I get outside in nature as much as I can.

What do you think the bluegrass world could be better at?

I don’t know about the world of bluegrass, but in California, we need to get better at taking out our wallets. We spend a fortune on our instruments, but as a community, we need to do better at tipping bands, donating to organizations, buying merchandise, and patronizing places that host jams. It is a little embarrassing to me that I host a jam at a local brewery that loses money on bluegrass night but makes up for it on trivia night. We all need to support live music. We need to expose more folks to bluegrass.

That’s an interesting observation. What else?

We also need more educational efforts. We tend to think that everyone already knows about bluegrass, but they sure don’t. When I pitched hiring a bluegrass band at my school to the PTSA, a few moms didn’t even know what that meant! I tell all my students, “You may not like bluegrass, that’s fine, but you’re going to know what it is so you can articulate why you do or don’t like it.” And no one gets to leave 7th grade thinking a mandolin is a tiny guitar.

Hah, beautiful. Thanks for your time, Donna, and I’m looking forward to pickin’ with you soon.

Thanks, Dave! Always a pleasure talking about bluegrass.

Copy editing by Jeanie Poling