Seven File for Four Spots on Norwalk-La Mirada School Board
Norwalk-Three candidates will challenge incumbents for four available seats on the Norwalk-La Mirada Board of Education in the local and municipal elections on November 5th.
Incumbents Ana Valencia, Ed Hengler, Margarita Rios and Darryl Adams have all filed necessary papers for re-election.
The three challengers include Sean Reagan, Salvador Limon and Mark White.
Four of the seven have listed teacher as their main occupation. Hengler is a retired teacher and White lists Field Technical Engineer and Rios, a parent, as their occupations.
Bi-Weekly La Mirada Crime Report; Badlona Hit Twice in One Week
Residential Burglary-Two residential burglaries were reported on the 15100 block of Badlona Dr. Cash and jewelry was stolen from one of the residences.
Other Structure Burglary- A burglary to a storage container was reported on the 15200 block of Rosecrans Ave. Various tools were stolen in the incident. A motorcycle and various other items were reported stolen from a garage on the 16100 block of Rosecrans Ave.
Vehicle Burglary-An incident was reported on the 14500 block of Dunnet Ave. Two seats and a DVD system were stolen from the vehicle. Two separate burglaries were reported on the 14200 block of Firestone Blvd. Various items were stolen from the vehicles. A window smash burglary was reported on the 15800 block of Imperial Hwy. Paperwork was stolen from the vehicle.
Name Change for Festival Reflects La Mirada’s Heritage
La Mirada~The 4th Annual La Mirada Olive Fest (formerly the La Mirada Blog Fest), in cooperation with the La Mirada Symphony and the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce, is set for September 21st at La Mirada Regional Park from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The free event, which celebrates the history of La Mirada, along with its artistic and musical heritage, will feature live entertainment, an art walk, a La Mirada Legends meet-and-greet, an opportunity drawing with a $500 grand prize, food trucks, and vendors selling arts and crafts.
“La Mirada is a special place and it really deserves its own family-friendly unique event that it can call its own,” says La Mirada native and Olive Fest Committee President Tony Aiello, “What we seek to do is incorporate elements from past events in La Mirada that have proven to be successful; the olive trees are so encrusted in our heritage, it was an obvious choice for a name.”
“We have taken ideas from the old Fiesta de Artes, (an outdoor art show that was very popular in the 70’s and 80’s). Also, we have ideas from the Celebration in the Park at Neff, the La Mirada Kids Carnival, and the La Mirada Chamber Business Expo. We are talking about adding an olive recipe contest, olive oil tasting, Mr. and Mrs. Olive and more as each year goes by.”
“This is our fourth year, and each year we have grown in size. We have always considered ourselves a grassroots organization and we have somehow sustained ourselves the first three years. We are very excited to have new sponsors aboard and new groups involved. We love the idea of community organizations using our event for a fund raising opportunity. The seed has been planted to maintain an annual community-driven event that celebrates growing and living in a great town.”
Residents May Apply to Serve on City Charter Exploratory Committee
The City Council established the City Charter Exploratory Committee during their August 27th meeting. The five member committee will be charged with reviewing the potential advantages of becoming a charter city and preparing a draft charter for the Council’s consideration.
Applications will be accepted for those interested in serving on the City Charter Exploratory Committee until September 20. Committee members must be at least 18 years old, United States citizens and residents of La Mirada.
The City Charter Exploratory Committee will meet at least monthly, or more often if needed, to review charter city issues and draft the proposed city charter. The committee will explore the differences between charter cities and general law cities, review municipal affairs over which charter cities have authority, identify advantages of becoming a charter city, discuss charter contents, and prepare a draft city charter.
There are currently 121 charter cities in California, including nearby Buena Park, Cerritos and Whittier.
“Charter cities work under the home-rule provision of the state constitution,” says City Manager Designee Jeff Boynton. “This committee will be looking at whether a charter could increase local control and provide other benefits for La Mirada.”
Residents interested in serving on the committee may complete an application and submit it to City Hall by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20. Applications are available at City Hall and on the City’s website www.cityoflamirada.org.
Norwalk-La Mirada Graduation Rates Continue to Climb
Norwalk~The graduation rate at Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District high schools has seen a steady increase over the last four years, topping off at 92 percent for the 2012-13 academic year.
This year, NLMUSD had 1,523 seniors graduate from its five high schools – John Glenn, La Mirada, Norwalk, El Camino and Southeast Academy. This compares with the 2009-10 academic year when NLMUSD graduated 87.2 percent of its seniors; 90 percent in 2010-11; and 92.2 percent in 2011-12.
Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez attributes the ongoing success of the District to new intervention programs, positive policy changes and better tracking of the District’s students.
“We’re at 92 and we intend to see continued progress,” Perez said. Our students are working hard to receive their diplomas and our teacher and staff is utilizing proven instructional programs and interventions to provide whatever academic support each individual student needs to achieve that goal.”
In the last five years, the District has implemented several programs to steer students toward success. Such programs include one-on-on and in-classroom intervention programs for students who struggle throughout middle school, a District leadership group that looks at achievement gaps and finds ways to close them, and peer-mentoring groups.
Bi-Weekly La Mirada Crime Report; Residential Burglaries on Fada, Adoree, and Crestline
The following is the crime report for La Mirada for August 5-18, 2013
Aggravated Assault-An assault was reported on the 12700 block of Valley View Ave. An unknown suspect threw a knife at the victim but missed him. An assault occurred on the 15300 block of Loretta Dr. A suspect was taken into custody at the location after threatening to harm the victim.
Residential Burglary-A residential burglary was reported on the 15600 Fada Dr. Tools and other items were stolen from the garage at the location. A purse and vehicle were reported stolen on the 16000 block of Crestline Dr. The vehicle was recovered the same day and a suspect taken into custody. A burglary to a vacant home was reported on the 15100 block of Leffingwell Rd. Cash and a laptop computer were reported stolen from a residence on the 14100 block of Adoree St.
Other Structure Burglary-A burglary to Benton Middle School was reported Aug. 17. Two adults and two juveniles were arrested in connection with the burglary. A burglary to a commercial mailbox was reported in an office complex on the 14700 block of Beach Blvd.
Vehicle Burglary-A window smash burglary was reported on the 14300 block of Firestone Blvd. A cell phone was stolen from the vehicle. A vehicle burglary occurred on the 11600 block of Goldendale Dr. A wallet was stolen from the vehicle. A window smash burglary was reported on the 12000 block of Santa Gertrudes Ave. A purse was stolen from the vehicle. A purse containing various items was reported stolen in a window smash burglary on the 13500 block of Beach Blvd.
Two Adults, Two Juvenilles Burglarize Benton School
La Mirada~Last Saturday at approximately 3 p.m., deputies responded to a call involving a burglary that apparently was in progress at Benton Middle School.
During the ensuing investigation, several witnesses from a nearby residential area described seeing four young male Hispanics, two of which appeared to be juveniles, rushing away from the campus with furniture in hand. Three of the suspects proceeded to a sedan parked nearby to load their haul and sped off. The fourth suspect was observed by witnesses walking toward La Mirada Blvd.
After a short time had passed during the investigation, the suspect on foot was detained by assisting Deputies on La Mirada Blvd. and confessed to having been involved in the burglary.
The remaining three suspects were all eventually apprehended. Two adults and two juveniles were charged with misdemeanor burglary. The two juveniles were released to their guardians shortly after being cited.
High School Juniors and Seniors Should Begin College Application Process Now
The 2013-2014 school year is just around the corner for La Mirada High School, and as incoming seniors and juniors, many students will begin to prepare for the challenging college application process that dominates much of their first semester.
Summer is at its end; August is the month of procrastination. Incoming seniors will have heard a great deal about college applications and personal statements, but very few will have even taken the opportunity to even glance at them. It is a daunting task, one that is not easily juggled between other responsibilities such as schoolwork, extracurricular activities, sports, and even work. However, the importance is self-evident.
As August winds down, students should have a general understanding of which colleges and universities they will be applying to, as applications do cost money to submit. Glancing over the applications you will find that, with the exception of the personal statements and any supplemental questions, they are relatively easy to fill out.
Applications for each college and university are available online and submitted electronically: California Community Colleges (cccapply.org), California State Colleges (csumentor.edu), University of California colleges (universityofcalifornia.edu/apply), and the Common Application which is used by most private colleges and universities nationwide (commonapp.org).
Of these, only University of California, or UC, campuses and most private colleges require personal statements. Privates will usually also have supplemental questions that can range from short answers to 500-word essays. This is why it is imperative for students to become familiar now with the applications they intend to fill out and submit.
New Web Page Offers Updated Construction News
La Mirada~It seems everywhere you turn these days there is some kind of construction going on in the La Mirada area.
The City of La Mirada has responded by adding a new Capital Improvement Projects page to the city's website to provide information and photos of the numerous infrastructure improvements underway throughout La Mirada.
Located on the city's homepage under the Reference Links section, the Capital Improvement Projects page offers information on neighborhood street improvements, Interstate 5 Freeway mitigation projects and the Santa Gertrudes Avenue sidewalk improvements.
Information will be updated regularly to show each project's progress through the latest news and photos. Future projects will also be highlighted.
To access the page click here.
Sidewalk Improvements Continue Along Santa Gertrudes
La Mirada~Sidewalk improvements along a large stretch of Santa Gertrudes Avenue in La Mirada, from Lemon Drive to Rosecrans Avenue, continue this week. The project was approved by the City Council earlier this year and is part of an aggressive plan to repair La Mirada’s infrastructure over the next several years.
“The sidewalk will be completely removed and replaced with a new layout scheme and landscaping,” says Public Works Manager Gary Sanui. “Overgrown ficus trees and their roots caused most of the damage to the pavement, and will be removed also.”
The new sidewalk path will feature an attractive walkway with alternating landscape strips of camphor street trees and plants, an automatic irrigation system, and new curb access ramps to meet current state and federal regulations. Damaged sections of curb, gutter, and street pavement will also be replaced.
Kasa Construction, Inc. was awarded the construction contract in March with a bid of $794,657. The company has successfully completed similar construction projects for the City in the past. The project is scheduled for completion later next month.
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