Imperial Construction Project Comes to an End
La Mirada/ LA County~Whew!
The long sewer construction project that wasn't even in La Mirada, but affected LM residents daily, is finally over.
Most of the work on the project, which started in January, affected motorists on Imperial Highway between Biola Avenue and Valley View. The original phase of the project consumed Imperial as far north as La Mirada Blvd.
The project caused lengthy delays-especially westbound on Imperial-with the road often reduced to one lane.
Commuters are certainly smiling as things are now back to normal on the highway
REVIEW: Magnolias Gets Thumbs Up
La Mirada~Wow! From the moment I walked in to the theatre I knew I was in for a treat. The set on stage was breathtakingly beautiful. I felt like I was actually in a beauty salon, the only thing missing was the strong smell of hair solutions.
I can only be talking about the production of Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling and directed by Brian Kite. Presented by La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Emtertainment in association with The Welks Resorts Theatre, it runs through October 18th.
THE CAST...
M'Lynn Eatenton........................................................................CATHY RIGBY
Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie......................................................AMY SLOAN
Truvy Jones................................................................................CHRISTA JACKSON
Clairee Belcher..........................................................................ROSINA REYNOLDS
Annelle Dupey-Desoto.............................................................EMMA FASSLER
Ouiser Bordreaux......................................................................MICHAEL LEARNED
I tip my hat to the actresses for allowing me to feel the very emotions that they performed on stage. Funny, sincere, and completely enjoyable. The likeness these actresses portrayed in comparison to those of the movie were right on.
I was able to picture in my mind the 6 different lives of these women. How they live, where they live, what their spouses were like. What lifestyles they each lived and what their spiritual choices were. I truly enjoyed getting to know them. The underlying strength and love, along with the respect that they shared for one another, was envious.
I strongly recommend that you grab your sister, your mother, your best friends, and your neighbor and head on over to the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts to enjoy this high-flying performance.
Thank you to all those involved, you all did a great job.
Real Life Story about Hiroshima Presented by Phantom Projects Theatre Group
3-PERSON CAST OF ASIAN-AMERICAN ACTORS BRINGS DRAMATIC TALE OF THE AFTERMATH OF THE HIROSHIMA BOMBINGS TO LIFE
La Mirada~Phantom Projects Theatre Group will present the first production of the 2009/2010 Season of the THEATRE FOR A TEEN AUDIENCE series at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts on October 22, 2009. The production, A THOUSAND CRANES, is directed by Kate Barrett and features a cast of 3 Asian-American actors who portray all of the characters in this true-story inspired production about the aftermath of the Hiroshima Bombing.
To win free tickets to the show, check out the La Mirada Blog on Facebook and enter by Monday, October 19th to win.
The show, which centers on the real-life story of Sadako Saski, details the little known after-effects of the radiation that lingered after attack. Although only aged 2 at the time of the bombing, the young girl is diagnosed with “radiation sickness” at the age of 12. During Sadako’s sickness, she learns of the power of the cranes: “If one folds 1,000, the Gods will grant their wish and make them healthy.”
Cerritos College Volleyball Doing a Dig Against Breast Cancer
Norwalk~When you say October, you would think Halloween, Columbus Day or falling leaves. But October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And Cerritos College women’s volleyball team will be joining for the first year in Side-Out’s Dig Pink National Breast Cancer Awareness Rally to raise funds and breast cancer awareness in the community.
This fall, thousands of teams from around the country will be participating in Dig Pink to promote Breast health education as well as raising funds to help eradicate Breast Cancer.
“It’s a neat way to get us together for a great cause,” said Teresa Velazquez, head volleyball coach at Cerritos College. “Students, family, friends and the community can help a good cause while supporting the team.”
Dig Pink attendees will watch the women compete on the court while contributing the breast health awareness by wearing pink in the stands and making a donation at the door. Dig Pink t-shirts can be purchased for $10 at the Physical Education Department. Order form is available here.
Every home game in October will have 50/50 raffles in which 50% of the proceeds go to the Side-Out Foundation and the other 50% will be prize. Or, even if you cannot make it to the games, you can still make a credit card donation at the Cerritos College Page on the Dig Pink Web site by going to www.DigPink.org, selecting the Colleges link under 2009 Team Summary and selecting Cerritos College.
Cerritos College will host its Dig Pink event at the following home games during the month of October:
October 16, 6:00 p.m. against Los Angeles City College
October 28, 6:00 p.m. against Long Beach City College
The Side-Out Foundation is an organization that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research nationwide through tournaments, clinics, and rallies. This is where the goal of $2,500 in proceeds and donations set by the Cerritos College “Dig for the Cure” campaign will benefit the Side-Out Foundation, a national 501 (c)(3). For more information about the event, please contact Teresa Velazquez at tvelazquez@cerritos.edu or (562) 860-2451 ext. 2881.
Suburban League Football Week 5 Recap; Week 6 Review
Suburban League Week 5
Week 5 Review: League is well under way and there were no surprises at all this past week. At this point, teams are starting to distance themselves from the rest of the pack and the league championship push has turned, in my opinion, into a three-horse race, with the Mayfair Monsoons out in front. The Matadores and the Lancers feel they have something to say about that.
Week 5 Results
Norwalk had a Bye.
Mayfair 46 John Glenn 24: The Eagles looked like they were going to end the Monsoons streak early, as they jumped out to a 10 point advantage. The Monsoons regrouped, and showed why they are the defending eight-time league champions. The Eagles bright spot was Niua Niumataevalu, the talented Junior TB/ MLB has been a punishing force on both sides of the ball. This was evident on one of his runs, as he broke several tackles and sprinted down the sideline and finally was run out of bounds after a 35 yard gain. Dominique Small for Mayfair was not to be out done as he shredded the Eagles defense for over 100 yards rushing. He leads a very talented crop of TB’s for Mayfair.
La Mirada 42 Cerritos 20: The Dons still have the losing streak going and again, they are really getting tired of the streak. And it is still lingering over their head. The Matadores came and pounded the Dons early and often. It was clear from the beginning, that this was an overmatched Cerritos team. However, the Dons have two ultra-talented under classmen on their roster. Sophomore QB Marquis Moss who is a threat to go to the house every time he touches the ball. Also, their TB Aaron Francis is a hard running junior who is the only other true threat that the Dons possess on offense; and he is a stud on defense as well. QB Daniel Poncedeleon couldn’t be outdone as he led an aerial assault against the Dons secondary; he threw for 135 yards and two TD’s and didn’t play much in the second half. He looks like the most lethally accurate QB in the Suburban League.
Suburban League Football Week 4 Recap; Week 5 Review
Suburban League Week 4
Week 4 Review: League has started and there were no surprises at all. The games were not that close, although the La Mirada vs. Glenn game looked like a slugfest-for about a half. Then the Matadores took control, although I don’t think that Glenn looked like its old self. They didn’t fold, and they played hard till the end; and I think they earned some respect from the Matadores.
Week 4 Results
Norwalk 58 Bellflower 7: This game was truly one-sided, as the visiting Lancers let their ground game steam-roll the Buccaneers. The Lancers offense looked unstoppable, as the Buccaneers defense seemed to be overmatched. The Buccaneers now try to regroup as they get ready to play 0-4 Artesia. The Lancers ground attack is one that truly has been dominating, and no one has been able to hold it in check. They are led by wingbacks Adrian Gonzales, and Billy Moore. They are steady with the hard running FB’s Adrian Cortez and Elijhaa Penny. The Lancers ride high into their bye week as they get ready for their cross town rivalry game with the Eagles of John Glenn. 
La Mirada 41 John Glenn 24: The Matadores offense had great field position in the first half and they capitalized on mistakes by John Glenn. They led 14-7 at the half, and when the third quarter started they had possession until Matt Haltom fumbled the ball. The Eagles had a golden opportunity and they didn’t capitalize on it, as they only came away with a field goal. The Matadores then reeled off 27 unanswered points. The Eagles however would not go quietly as they stormed back for 14 more points including a 95 yard pass from QB Jose Escobar to TB DJ Bernard. After the game, it could be seen that the Eagles had made too many mistakes to win, but they had earned a little respect. For Coach Wilson, who is trying to turn a team that has been in the Suburban League dungeon into a winner, this shows that he is headed in the right direction.
Splash! Enjoys Record Summer Success
La Mirada~Record attendance and revenues were seen at the Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatic Center during the recently concluded summer season.
Summer attendance of over 189,000 drew in $1,200,000 in revenue. More than 6,300 Splash! season passes were sold.
"Attendance by families from the La Mirada area, particularly those with smaller children, was especially strong throughout the summer", according to La Mirada Community Services Director Lori Thompson. "Splash! has become a very popular destination for aquatic recreation, instruction, and competition".
The creative design of Splash! which combines instructional water and competitive pools with the family fun activities found in Buccaneer Bay water park area, is also proving to be a viable business model. While traditional pool complexes can be costly to operate and produce very little in the way of revenues, Splash! produces significant revenues to offset costs. The net investment in Splash! operations is within that of other recreational and cultural facilities serving La Mirada.
Splash! also offered hundreds of local youth a free program of swim lessons and activities during the summer. The program included lessons, competitive activities and water play. The program was offered in cooperation with the County of Los Angeles and LA 84.
Althought the Buccanerr Bay water park ihas closed following the end of the summer season, Splash! will continue to offer a wide variety of swim lessons, exercise classes and open swim opportunities. For additional information on the Splash! schedule of activities, visit www.cityoflamirada.org or call (562) 902-3191.
Hats Off at the Kiwanis Installation Dinner
La Mirada~On Wednesday, the 23rd of September, members of the La Mirada Kiwanis Club, spouses and friends met for an installation dinner of the new term of the La Mirada Kiwanis Club.
 |
| Longtime Kiwanian Tony Armas with outgoing President, Debbie Scheibel |
All in all, the plusses well outweighed any negatives. The Club enjoyed a membership growth from 34 to 52; and for the math inclined, that’s a 53% increase.
Kiwanis also hosted the second annual Duck Race, served Tri-Tips at the 3rd of July City fireworks show, sold fireworks, and sold hamburgers at the city Stroll in the Park. We served pancakes to all comers at many, many youth activities. We cooked the pancakes for the Knabe Katch and treated some 50 plus children to a Shopping Spree last Christmas at Sears, with breakfast after at Ruby’s.
When everything was totaled, we logged in 1783 hours on 89 projects, spending over $17,000 on service projects. We gave out $11,000 in Scholarships to local seniors plus over $12, 500 in donations. Debbie thanked all members for their efforts and singled out some special members for their continuing efforts.
She called up Tony Armas, Ronnie Knight, John Tovar, Reed Taylor and Lou Piltz, giving them awards for their continuing efforts. She gave hats to each to signify their specialty, with Tony getting a hot dog hat, Ron, a patriotic hat, John, an umbrella hat, Reed, a Fire Chief hat and Lou, a wizard hat.
The McCoy Rigby Conservatory of the Arts Launches “Broadway-U”
Yorba Linda~The McCoy Rigby Conservatory of the Arts (MRCA) will launch "Broadway-U", it's all new, professional-level training program for young singers, dancers and actors, grades 6-12, from all parts of Orange County and neighboring communities began September 28, 2009 at both its Yorba Linda studio and on the campus of Dana Hill High School in south Orange County.
McCoy Rigby's "Broadway-U" will provide intensive instruction in Musical Theatre and Dance to young people, selected by audition, who have aspirations for careers in the arts. All classes are taught by working industry professionals including many celebrated actors, singers, dancers, directors, choreographers, composers, lyricists and producers from Broadway and Hollywood.
Concurrent with their classroom instruction students have the opportunity to participate in professionally produced stage productions and performing groups, in many cases alongside celebrated professionals, at major venues throughout the region. The "Broadway-U" is fully accredited by The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Pflanzer to Host Meet-and-Greet and Fund Raising Golf Tourney
La Mirada~Chris Pflanzer, one of six candidates vying for four spots on the Norwalk-La Mirada School Board next month, has two campaign events next week.
On Thursday, October 8, Pflanzer will be hosting a meet-and-greet, where the community will have a chance to learn more about the candidate. The event will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 12138 Front Street in Norwalk.
On Friday October 9th, Pflanzer's campaign will be hosting a Golf Tournament/Fund Raiser at the Fullerton Golf Course in Fullerton. Shot gun start at 1:00 p.m. Prizes and raffle opportunities will be provided. Hole sponsorship will also be available.
For more information call (714) 553-6770 or visit www.pflanzerforschoolboard.com.
