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.
La Mirada Little League Junior All-Stars Fall Short in Title Game
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| La Mirada Little League looks to return to the Junior World Series, currently competing in the Western Regional at Kindsfather Field in Vancouver, WA. |
UPDATE: 8/7/13 18:36 The La Mirada Little Junior All-stars lost tonight 2-1, in the championship game of the Junior League Western Regionals in Vancouver, Washington.
La Mirada led through three 1-0, but Arizona scored in the fourth to tie it at one apiece. The scored remained tied until Arizona scored in the bottom of the 7th to win the game.
The loss ends La Mirada's hopes of returning to the Junior League World Series.
Congratulations from the La Mirada community to the 2013 La Mirada Little League Junior All-Stars-Southern California Champions-for a fantastic season!
UPDATE 8/6/13 16:27 Vancouver, WA~As reported here first on the La Mirada Blog on our Twitter feed this morning, La Mirada beat Alaska 4-0 today in a semi-final game at the Western Regionals in Vancouver, WA.
The win catapults LMLL into the championship game, one win away from returning to the Junior League World Series in the league's tenth anniversary season of when the juniors won the title in 2003.
La Mirada will play in the championship game tomorrow (Wednesday) against Arizona (Rio Rico Little League) at 5:00 p.m. with the winner going to the big show in Tyler, Michigan.
La Mirada suffered their only defeat of this tournament to Arizona this past Monday, losing 7-0.
Check our Twitter channel tomorrow afternoon on this page, or at twitter.com/lamiradablog for exclusive updates.
UPDATE 8/6/13 5:12 The Junior All-Stars lost to Arizona yesterday 7-0, but still managed to make the final four at the Western Regional in Vancouver, WA.
LMLL will play Alaska today at 10 a.m. and if they win will play in the championship game tomorrow (Wednesday).
The La Mirada Little League Junior All-stars include: Jake Bale, Isaiah Carreon, Kendall Gaines, Jose Gutierrez, Kevin Kendall, R.J.Lan, Zane Palermo, Nicholas Rios, Justin Scroggin, Jonny Sholty Tony Valentin and Chad Wilson.
UPDATE 8/3/13 12:20 The Junior All-Stars took one more step to returning to the World Series, beating Montana earlier today 22-0.
LMLL will next play Monday vs. Arizona (Rio Rico Little League) at 10 a.m.
The La Mirada Little League Juniors are playing in their 10th anniversary season of when they won the national title.
Vancouver, WA~The La Mirada Little League Junior All-Stars beat Utah tonight 12-2 in pool play at the Junior League Western Regional Tournament at Kindsfather Field in Vancouver.
La Mirada next plays this Saturday at 10 a.m. vs. Montana.
Be sure to follow our network including our Twitter feed here for continuous updates.
Get the full schedule and other information at the tournament website here.
La Mirada Little League Juniors Win So Cal Championship
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| NEXT STOP: After winning the So Cal title, the La Mirada Little League Junior All-Stars next travel to Vancouver, WA to compete in the Western Regional, hoping to get back to the big show. |
UPDATE 07/28/13 5:47: The Junior All-Stars will be holding a fundraiser today at SoCal Pizza/Norwalk from 12-4 p.m. to help them with their expenses associated with their trip to Vancouver, Washington.
Santa Ana~The La Mirada Little League Junior All-Stars are headed to the State of Washington after beating Trabuco Canyon earlier today 10-5-sweeping the best-of-three series in two games to win the Southern California Division Championship.
La Mirada will know compete in the 2013 Western Regional Junior Baseball International Tournament at Propstra Stadium in Vancouver, WA beginning July 31st with a chance to return to the Junior League World Series.
This is the tenth anniversary season of when La Mirada won the Junior League World Series in 2003.
Walmart Neighborhood Market Coming to La Mirada This Fall; Hiring Over 60 Employees
La Mirada~As reported here first on the La Mirada Blog many months ago, a new Walmart Neighborhood Market is coming to La Mirada.
The new store located at 14865 Telegraph Road is currently under construction adjacent to the new Walgreens that opened last month in the Crossroads Shopping Center and is expected to open this fall.
Walmart will be hiring over 60 employees for the new store and they will be opening a temporary job hiring center tomorrow (Monday) at the WorkSource Center, 10400 Pioneer Blvd. in Santa Fe Springs. The center will be open 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. through Friday.
Expect to begin working around October with full and part-time positions available. You can also apply or inquire online at http://www.careers.walmart.com/
The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998, and today there are approximately 250 Walmart Neighborhood Market stores nationwide. The markets offer a one-stop destination for customers to purchase groceries and pharmaceuticals, along with other features you might find in a conventional grocery store.
Also, at around 30,000-50,000 square feet, the stores are generally the same size of a traditional grocery store. The La Mirada store will be about 35,000 square feet.
Also, renovation continues on the additional building on the property-the site of the former SoCal Pizza-that was not demolished as part of the current renovation process at the center. It will be enhanced, and will compliment the new city-mandated Mediterranean design the new Walgreens and Walmart have incorporated.
