Remote Surveillance Trailer in San Fernando, CA

The owners of a longtime Mexican restaurant and its adjacent coffee shop posted a heartbreaking video this week announcing the closure of both San Fernando Valley neighborhood businesses.

“As some of you may know, yesterday was our last day of operation there at Los Ruizeñores and at Jardín (Café),” Ernie said as he sat alongside Maricela in a post announcing the closure on Instagram Thursday.

Ernie and Maricela have run Los Ruizeñores, located at 15206 Roxford St. in Sylmar, for years after it was started by Ernie’s father and handed down to him.

“It’s the hardest thing we’re going through. We’re trying to figure out stuff. We’ve never done anything but own Los Ruizeñores and Jardín, and believe me, it’s not easy,” Maricela said as she fought back tears in the video.

The couple said rising rent and increasing costs have made it impossible to continue running the businesses, “despite how hard we fought to stay.”

“It just came down to a combination of things that happened, including, you know, our landlord had risen the rent earlier this year and really kind of took the bang out of us, and we regret to inform that as of right now our locations are closed,” Ernie said. “As you guys know, both Jardín and Los Ruizeñores are connected under the same lease.”

Maricela said the cost of everything, not just rent, has gone “crazy,” but the couple wanted to thank the Sylmar community for its years of support.

“To every person who walked through our doors: thank you. Whether you visited once or became part of our everyday lives, you became part of our story. Every purchase, kind word, recommendation, and moment shared meant more to our family than you know,” the post reads.

Ernie and Maricela said they will try to continue their business through on-site catering.

“So if you guys need anything. If you guys have a party … please just reach out to us. The numbers are the same. We just wanted to say we are very grateful for each and every one of you guys.”

VAN NUYS, CA — Skanska, in a joint venture with Stacy Witbeck, announces that it has been awarded an additional contract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project in Van Nuys, California. Along with preconstruction and early-works, the total contract value for the project is $2.43 billion.

The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project is designed to expand transit access and strengthen connections along the Van Nuys Boulevard corridor. The addition of new stations and connections to existing services will provide a more reliable way for people to get to work, school, and other regional destinations. This added continuity to the broader Los Angeles County rail system serves the communities of Panorama City, Arleta, and Pacoima while supporting long-term mobility efforts.

This project is a progressive design-build, which integrated construction and design teams early in the development process. This allowed for early engagement with Metro and stakeholders to validate designs, address third-party constraints, and refine construction approaches before full build-out, which will help manage risk, cost, and schedule during upcoming construction.

“The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail project is an investment in mobility for the region,” said James Bailey, Executive Vice President of Skanska USA Civil’s West Coast operations. “The progressive design-build delivery method enabled us to collaborate closely with LA Metro from day one, bringing designers, builders, stakeholders, and community members together to make informed decisions and help shape a light rail system that will serve the East San Fernando Valley for generations to come.”

"Delivering the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail requires getting every detail right, from utility coordination through revenue service, across some of the most active urban corridors in Los Angeles,” said Eric Meisgeir, Project Manager for Stacy Witbeck. “We will construct this project with the same focus on the work and respect for the community to deliver a project the San Fernando Valley can be proud of."

The project scope includes the construction of a 6.7-mile, at-grade (street-level) light rail along Van Nuys Boulevard, a 26-acre Rail and Maintenance Facility, 11 new stations including shade structures, and utility relocations and improvements.

The project is expected to be complete in December 2031.

LAKE BALBOA — The heat and score couldn’t melt away the smile and confidence shining from USC legend, Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl champion Reggie Bush during a scorching morning coaching youth football at Birmingham High School on Saturday.

Long gone are the playing days for Bush, who led USC to a win in the Rose Bowl in 2004 and generated 63 all-purpose yards for the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the team’s home city.

Jerseys and pads Bush once wore have been replaced by a light blue collared shirt, shorts and a dark blue hat, his attire as one of the coaches for the San Fernando Valley Chargers. The organization started in November 2025 and was co-founded by Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates, former welterweight boxing champion Zab Judah and NFL Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson.

“It starts with my (sons),” Bush said. “My boys play football. I want to build a program where their friends can play. They can grow up in a great environment, where they can have a great experience.”

The San Diego native from Helix High School has adopted the San Fernando Valley as the region of Los Angeles he wants to help modernize youth football and grow the sport.

“For me, this is a great experience to work with these kids, teach them, guide them, and help them get to the next level,” Bush said. “We wanted to create a program that was great for the community and a place they can grow up and learn the game of football.”

Youth football commissioner Ignacio Erazo, who oversees Pop Warner programs in the Southern California Conference, recognized the expertise Bush brought with Gates, Goldson and Judah.

“It’s healthy and motivates the kids to hear coaching from someone who was there,” Erazo said. “It’s a big help for our league, the organization to help these kids try harder.”

Coaching isn’t Bush’s only mission. He wants to make the sport safer and increase the number of youth tackle football participants in Los Angeles County.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 708 on Sept. 28 that requires youth football leagues to allow players to use safety equipment, including soft-shelled add-ons like Guardian Caps to football helmets.

For Bush, coaching the San Fernando Valley Chargers is about opening more avenues for kids to get involved in youth football.

“First and foremost, when you can give back to the community, it’s always a great thing,” Bush said. “The kids are the future. From what I saw last year, there weren’t too many programs that had that shining representation of excellence. We want to bring that to the youth football space and the community. So that the community can look at this as a shining example of hard work, dedication, effort, focus, and all things kids can learn not only from the football field but that will help them off the football field too. It’s building them to be great young men.”

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The first-ever light-rail project being built in the San Fernando Valley has gotten a big boost, as LA Metro awarded a $2.43 billion construction contract to build out the new line.

The major construction contract was awarded to Skanska USA and its partner, Stacy Witbeck to build the first phase of the street level project, which will run 6.7 miles between the G (Orange) Bus Rapid Transit Line in Van Nuys to the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road in Pacoima.

A second phase still being studied would travel 2.5 miles alongside the Metrolink heavy rail line into San Fernando, from San Fernando Road at Van Nuys Boulevard to the Sylmar Metrolink Station.

“The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail project is an investment in mobility for the region,” said James Bailey, executive vice president of Skanska USA Civil’s West Coast operations.

Many people in majority-minority communities of Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima will eventually get their first modern light-rail system. Some destinations along the line include the Van Nuys Civic Center, the Panorama Mall, multi-residential housing in Van Nuys and Arleta High School.

Residents are primarily immigrants from Mexico, the Philippines, Central America and Russia. A large majority do not own cars and usually take the buses running along Van Nuys Boulevard and intersecting streets, as well as the Bus Rapid Transit G (Orange) Line.

The award includes both pre-construction work, such as utility relocation, and building of the tracks and stations along Van Nuys Boulevard. Early construction work began in late 2024.

The first phase of the $3.6-billion project involves building a light-rail down the median of Van Nuys Boulevard, starting at Oxnard and San Fernando roads.

The work will consist of a double track and includes 33 electric light-rail train cars, 11 center-platform train stations and a 21-acre maintenance and train storage facility near Keswick Street, just west of San Fernando Boulevard, Metro reported.

The train line is expected to be completed in December 2031, said Andrew Grubb, project executive at Skanska USA Civil West in an emailed response.

Construction needs to move ahead with close coordination with LA Metro, the city of Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Bureau of Engineering. The Van Nuys corridor in the northeast San Fernando Valley is within the city of Los Angeles.

Skanska uses planning, project phasing and other measures such as GPR, or Ground Penetrating Radar that that looks for underground conduits or buried utilities using radio waves, Grubb said.

“Traffic is probably the biggest obstacle to construction. The project is being built along Van Nuys Boulevard, which is heavily trafficked and runs through neighborhoods, past businesses and schools, and serves as a commuter corridor,” wrote Grubb.

Construction is married with slowing vehicle traffic and making work zones safe for crews and the public, he wrote. “That takes real partnership with the city agencies and with the community,” he said.

While LA Metro is using funds from tax Measures M and R, the project has also received the following outside funding:

• $1.5 billion in federal dollars

• $600 million from the state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).

Trains are expected every 7–10 minutes during peak hours, Metro estimated.