Looking for the next city to investigate? Try San Fernando *

Are any of the small cities in Los Angeles County not havens of crazy or worse? Catch the latest from tiny San Fernando, population about 25,000 and the first town to be settled in the Valley, long before L.A. came for the water. The San Fernando Sun reports that the mayor, Mario Hernandez, dropped a few bombshells at the last City Council meeting. He announced that he has lost his business and filed for personal and corporate bankruptcy — but that wasn't the good stuff. "And secondly," Mayor Hernandez said, "I'd like to put out there, 'to squash the rumors,' that yes, I have been in a relationship with Councilwoman (Maribel) De La Torre." Even that might not have been so shocking if the mayor's wife wasn't sitting in the front row. When she rose to say a few words, the mayor ordered the acting police chief to shut her up — after which another City Council member came over to give her a hug.

The Sun does its best to pique the interest of outside reporters:

It's not enough that San Fernando has a police chief "on vacation" for having sex with a cadet, or a police dispatcher caught exposing himself, or Councilwoman Brenda Esqueda's conflict of interest votes on the police department while having a sexual affair with police Sgt. Alvaro Castellon....

Someone should lend the Mayor a dictionary because you don't "squash" a rumor by confirming that it is true. More importantly, the De La Torre/Hernandez tryst has implications beyond the bedroom.

Their pillow talk has led to arrogant control noted by two other council members and city staff. Without informing or conferring with fellow council members, they have been meeting and directing city officials and dictating policy....

Sev Aszkenazy, who is the publisher of this newspaper, told Hernandez, "You're a joke. Everyone knows you're a joke, so just be a joke."

"Stay tuned for the next episode of San Fernando's reality show," the paper says.

* Not to forget: De La Torre is the sister of former Assemblywoman and L.A. city commissioner Cindy Montanez, now a lobbyist (oops, Assistant General Manager) for DWP.

Photo by Mike Terry from the San Fernando Sun