Career Highlights

Los Angeles CityBeat profile of former Los Angeles Councilman and powerbroker Richard Alatorre selected for anthology about important Latino and Chicano figures. Return of the Native: Richard Alatorre's Rise from Barrio Golden Boy to Bad Example and Halfway Back Again ran April 7, 2005. The anthology is scheduled for publication by the Greenwood Publishing Group on Aug. 30, 2008. http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR4020.aspx L.A. CityBeat story on shady west coast fundraising by an Oklahoma congressman and his connection to the MTA and Southern California Association of Governments. March 10, 2005. Story picked up by at least two midwest papers, had tongues wagging about possible quid-pro-quo and earned runner-up for best investigative story (smaller circulation newspapers) at the 2005 Southern California Journalism Awards. Pasadena Weekly story on unsolved murder of local mayor. Feb. 12, 2006. First reporter to break important new leads on 15-year-old slaying. Story prompted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. to conduct review of case. Article earned a tie for runner-up for best news feature (smaller circulation newspapers) at the 2006 Southern California Journalism Awards and a California Newspaper Publishers’ Association Certificate of Achievement. L.A. CityBeat story on regional groundwater problems. April 22, 2004. Story drew wide interest on subject, generating other media coverage, and public vows to study issues raised in the piece. Appeared on two popular public-affair radio shows to discuss it, and won national investigative reporting award with co-author.  Los Angeles Times story on chromium-six groundwater pollution 8-20-2000. Story prompted a state law (SB2127) to accelerate testing, the closure of several wells, a federal toxicology study, local and county water cleanups, numerous public hearings, and resulted in 50-plus follow-up stories by the Times and other papers. Co-authored story as a freelancer with Times staff writer Andrew Blankstein. “Top-of-the-Times” award/honorable mention recipient on it. L.A. Weekly story about former-Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alatorre’s intercessions to help a slumlord sell a lead-tainted housing complex to the city. 12-25-97. Story was the first to link Alatorre and property owner Samuel Mevorach, who bribed Alatorre in cold cash for his help. Article was used by federal prosecutors in their indictment of Alatorre, forced then-District Attorney Gil Garcetti to shift the case to the City Attorney’s office and was mentioned twice by the Los Angeles Times’ own exposes on the subject on 12-23-97 and 4-15-98.  Los Angeles Daily News stories about toxic pollution left by Lockheed Corporation at its Burbank manufacturing plants. Fall 1996. Series netted Silver Medal/environmental reporting from the California Newspaper Publishers Association while bringing national attention to the topic of defense contractors’ environmental practices. Resulted in more than a dozen follow-up stories, including seven by the Los Angeles Times alone. I co-wrote some stories and single-authored others that broke ground on this subject. Los Angeles Times story of state neglect of dozens of homes along the proposed 710-Freeway spur between Pasadena and El Sereno. 4-26-95. Story won “Top-of-the-Times” award (was lead writer on story, with then fellow-freelancer Richard Winton co-author). Article forced the California Department of Transportation to sell 54 properties, spend $20 million to repair others, among other significant reforms. Los Angeles Daily News series about risky and preferential loans by the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, Fall 1995. Articles galvanized public debate about CRA loan practices and a proposed law (SB 1626) by then-state Sen. Quentin Kopp. One publication cited revelation of those practices in administrator’s John Molloy’s departure.  A sampling of other investigative stories that made a difference: * 1999 CNN “Newstand” broadcast piece about corrupt management of the Hollywood Walk of Fame helped clean up and improve management of the landmark, and led to disclosure of the names of the Walk of Fame selection committee previously kept secret. * Summer 1996 Los Angeles Daily News series about violence on MTA buses led to uniformed patrols on the buses and renewed debate about transit security.  * Nov. 1995 Los Angeles Daily News story about frivolous spending by the MTA in its Hollywood subway-mitigation program for cocktail parties, a Santa’s Village, etc. sparked county investigation. Picked up by Associated Press and issue referenced by page-one Los Angeles Times story on 6-26-98. * Sept. 1995 Los Angeles Daily News story about boondoggle, publicly financed Hollywood Entertainment Museum led to state attorney general inquiry and debate at L.A. redevelopment agency. Story picked up by Los Angeles Magazine, the L.A. Business Journal, among others. * Story in L.A. Weekly on 11-24-94 about lavish travel expenditures of Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport commissioners used by officials in ending first-class travel for the board. * Story in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune about the Metropolitan Water District’s squandering of $2.1 million to relocate to pricey office tower at taxpayer expense stirred call for grand jury probe. Cited by Associated Press on 3-31-93. * Story in Los Angeles Business Journal about government questioning of subway contractor Ron Tutor’s $2.7 million in overhead charges for political donations, a fitness trainer, liquor and other questionable expenses. Charges rejected after story appeared. Mentioned by page-one Los Angeles Times story on 11-6-92.