Editing Bell, California (section)

==History==

===Early history===
The area comprising the present-day City of Bell has a Native American history dating back thousands of years. The Gabrieliño Indians migrated to the place now called Bell in 500 B.C. Spaniards have been living in this area of California since the mid-18th century. Among the early Spanish settlers was one of California's first families, the [[Lugo (surname)|Lugo]]s.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

While stationed at [[Mission San Antonio de Padua]] near [[Salinas, California|Salinas]], California, Francisco Lugo's first California son, Antonio María Lugo was born in 1775,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.bell.k12.ca.us/decades/history/timeline.htm |title=Timeline |publisher=Bell.k12.ca.us |access-date=July 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822150646/http://www.bell.k12.ca.us/decades/history/timeline.htm |archive-date=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> who would become Don Antonio María Lugo, Spanish aristocrat and soldier, who settled on 30,000 acres of land that encompasses the present-day City of Bell. In 1810, the king of Spain formally granted the land to Lugo as a reward for his military service<ref name="autogenerated1"/> and the acreage became known as [[Rancho San Antonio (Lugo)|Rancho San Antonio]].

The grant was confirmed by the Mexican governor in 1838. By 1865, the Lugo family's fortune had dwindled and most of the Rancho was sold for less than a dollar per acre. The Lugo family did manage to retain its home, built about 1810, which is the now oldest house in Los Angeles County. The original adobe house was on Gage Avenue.<ref name="cityofbell.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofbell.org|title=City of Bell |website=cityofbell.org}}</ref>

Between 1870 and 1890, settlers arrived to the area and among those was the city's founder. In 1876, the pioneer residents for whom the city is named, [[James George Bell]] and his wife Susan Abia Hollenbeck Bell, and their two children, Maude Elizabeth and Alphonzo Sr. moved from [[Los Angeles]] where they lived for a short period with Susan's brother, [[John Edward Hollenbeck|John Hollenbeck]], in their Victorian style home – the Bell House, now a historic landmark located at 4401 East Gage Avenue.<ref name="cityofbell.org"/> On April 6, 2000, the Bell House was dedicated as a California State Historical Resource.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

[[Image:Bell House.jpg|thumb|left|James George Bell House]]
They acquired about 360 acres (145.7&nbsp;ha) of land and in the next decade, helped in its development as a small farming and cattle raising community. The Bell Family lived at the [[John Edward Hollenbeck|Hollenbeck]]'s "Town House" on 4th and Breed Street until they moved into the "ranch" Bell House in 1876. The Bell House was an early [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] style farm house. In 1898, the town's name was changed from Rancho San Antonio to Bell, in honor of its pioneer founders.<ref name="cityofbell.org"/>

Between 1920 and 1935, an explosive growth in population occurred in the Bell area. Old and new residents built new businesses, established schools, and founded community organizations, such as the Bell [[Chamber of Commerce]] and the Woman's Club. An area-wide sanitation district was formed in 1923 to provide sewer facilities.

In 1924, George O. Wheeler founded the ''Industrial Post'', the local newspaper. By the early 1960s, the ''Bell Industrial Post'' had become the ''Bell-[[Maywood, California|Maywood]]-[[Cudahy, California|Cudahy]] Industrial Post''. It was later renamed the ''Community News'', and became part of the Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group. In 1998 it was sold again. The ''Community News'' disappeared not long after{{why|date=April 2020}},<ref>{{cite news|last1=Francke|first1=Terry|title=Why the Bell Scandal Happened and What Can Be Done|url=http://voiceofoc.org/2010/07/why-the-bell-scandal-happened-and-what-can-be-done/|access-date=January 22, 2017|publisher=Voice of OC|date=July 28, 2010}}</ref> facilitating a chain of corrupt practiced that ultimately led to criminal convictions for city administrator [[Robert Rizzo]], who had been hired around 1998, and six other Bell city officials.<ref> {{Cite web |title=10 YEARS AFTER THE BELL SCANDAL ARE WE MORE ETHICAL? |url=https://www.calcities.org/docs/default-source/annual-conference---session-materials/ten-years-after-the-bell-scandal-are-we-more-ethical.pdf?sfvrsn=21ab7d85_3 |website=www.calcities.org}}</ref>

In 1925, the Alcazar Theater to show "talking pictures", was opened. It has since been demolished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinematour.com/theatres/us/CA/2.html |title=Cinemas Around the World - United States - California |publisher=CinemaTour |access-date=July 26, 2010}}</ref>

In 1925, [[Bell High School (Bell, California)|Bell High School]] was opened.<ref name="search.lausd.k12.ca.us">{{cite web |url=http://search.lausd.k12.ca.us/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe?w3exec=school.profile.content&which=8536 |title=LAUSD School Profile |publisher=Search.lausd.k12.ca.us |date=September 16, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2010 |archive-date=May 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527173829/http://search.lausd.k12.ca.us/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe?w3exec=school.profile.content&which=8536 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Cityhood===
Bell was [[municipal corporation|incorporated]] as a city in 1927. Since its incorporation, the city of Bell has acquired land for public parks and the recreational program. The city also has constructed an adequate sewer system, widened all major streets, built a [[city hall]], and provided fire department buildings, with the cooperation of the city of Maywood and the County of Los Angeles, the city of Bell constructed an indoor public swimming pool at [[Bell High School (Bell, California)|Bell High School]].

[[Image:Bell House2.jpg|thumb|right|James George Bell House]]

The city's Chamber of Commerce is located at the historic [[James George Bell|James George Bell House]], which serves as a meeting place and in addition, a museum showcasing artifacts from the city's founding family and period furniture. The house is open to the general public with free admission.

In March 2007, the city of Bell held its first contested election for city council in almost a decade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=Bell+CA+election%2C+2007&gwp=13|title=Bell CA election, 2007: Web Search Results from Answers.com<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=[[Answers.com]]|access-date=January 1, 2011|archive-date=November 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109060641/http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=Bell+CA+election,+2007&gwp=13|url-status=dead}}</ref> The next election for City Council was held in March 2011, and included the recall of all the city council members save one, who was not re-elected.

===Oscar controversy===
In March 2000, it was reported that a shipment of 55 [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] statuettes was stolen from a trucking company loading dock in Bell. In addition to the [[Los Angeles]] and Bell police departments, [[FBI]] [[art theft]] experts investigated. It was the second Oscar mishap within a short period, as earlier that month 4,000 Oscar ballots were misrouted. Coincidentally, the missing Oscar ballots were found by the post office in a Bell processing center. [[AMPAS]] Executive Director Bruce Davis was quoted as jokingly warning [[Billy Crystal]], host of that year's Oscar ceremony, not to go near Bell because it "seems to be a [[Bermuda Triangle]] for Oscar things".<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/waiting-for-oscar/ | publisher=CBS News | title=Waiting For Oscar | date=March 25, 2000}}</ref>

===2010 city official corruption scandal===
{{Main|City of Bell scandal}}
In July 2010, when two ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reporters, Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives, were investigating possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of [[Maywood, California|Maywood]], it was revealed that Bell city officials were receiving unusually large salaries, perhaps the highest in the United States. The salaries came into the public eye after the newspaper's investigation, based on [[California Public Records Act]] requests, showed that the city payroll was swollen with six- to seven-figure salaries.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rogers |first=John |url=http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/116/2010/july/27/la-suburb-to-discuss-firing-high-paid-officials.html |title=DA probes voter fraud allegations in Calif. city |publisher=PhillyBurbs.com |date=July 27, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Robert Rizzo]], the [[City manager]], received $787,637 a year, almost double the salary of the [[President of the United States]]. Including benefits, he had received $1.5 million in the last year.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-bell-manager-compensation-mobile,0,52255.story |title=Former Bell city manager's compensation totaled $1.5 million a year, records show |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 8, 2010 |access-date=August 8, 2010 |first1=Jeff |last1=Gottlieb |first2=Ruben |last2=Vives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811161838/http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-bell-manager-compensation-mobile%2C0%2C52255.story |archive-date=August 11, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Rizzo's assistant, Angela Spaccia, was earning $376,288 a year, more than the top administrator for [[Los Angeles County]].<ref name="latimes1"/> The police chief, Randy Adams, was paid $457,000, 33% more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.<ref name="latimes1"/> All three resigned following news reports and public outcry. All but one of the members of the city council were receiving $100,000 for their part-time work, salaries which were authorized by a sparsely attended special election,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/bell-council-found-loophole-in-law-to-allow-big-salaries.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=L.A. Now | date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> giving the city "Charter" status. By comparison, council members in cities similar to Bell in size make an average of $4,800 a year, prosecutors have noted.<ref name="latimes1"/>

In September 2010, the California Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit against eight former and current City of Bell employees, requesting the return of what the suit calls "excessive salaries" as well a reduction in pension benefits accrued as a result of those higher salaries.<ref name="CNN">{{Cite news|title=California AG sues over California town's municipal salaries|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/09/15/california.bell.lawsuits/|access-date= September 16, 2010|publisher=CNN|date=September 15, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100918072807/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/09/15/california.bell.lawsuits/| archive-date= September 18, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> Allegations about irregularities in the 2009 election also were examined by the [[FBI]] and [[California Secretary of State]] office.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Winton |first=Richard |last2=Gottlieb |first2=Jeff |last3=Blankstein |first3=Andrew |date=2010-07-28 |title=L.A. County D.A. expands probe into Bell government |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2010-jul-28-la-me-bell-elections-20100728-story.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The city's high [[property tax]]es are also being investigated.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-aug-16-la-oe-gelinas-bell-bonds-20100816-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717063854/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/16/opinion/la-oe-gelinas-bell-bonds-20100816/2|url-status=live|archive-date=July 17, 2012|title=Bell stuck in a money rut|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 16, 2010|access-date=August 30, 2010 | first=Nicole | last=Gelinas}}</ref>

On September 21, 2010, former city manager Robert Rizzo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez, former assistant city manager Angela Spaccia and council members George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello were arrested and charged with misappropriation of public funds.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-09-21 |title=Rizzo faces 53 counts; Bell was 'corruption on steroids,' D.A. Cooley says [Updated] |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923154420/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html |archive-date=2010-09-23 |access-date= |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html|title=8 current, former Bell, California officials arrested|publisher=CNN|date=September 21, 2010|access-date=September 21, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923154420/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html| archive-date=September 23, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> The mayor and council members all either resigned or were recalled. Of the eight, only Luis Artiga was found not guilty. The revelations about the salary amounts paid to city officials in Bell led media inquires into salaries paid in other cities.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Allen|first=Sam|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bell-impact-20100729,0,6243085.story|title=California's city officials scramble to limit damage from Bell scandal|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 29, 2010|access-date=July 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729190157/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bell-impact-20100729%2C0%2C6243085.story|archive-date=July 29, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> After a review, the ''L.A. Times'' found frequent failures in audits of public agencies in other municipalities in California.<ref>[http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/11/11/1649516/bell-mayor-in-corruption-case.html "Bell mayor in corruption case"]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, mercedsunstar.com; November 11, 2010; accessed October 1, 2014.</ref>
<!-- MUST BE UPDATED; THIS IS 4 YEARS OLD!! -->