La Mirada Blog
Articles by Tony Aiello
La Mirada Chamber New Website Now Up and Running
La Mirada~A new website has debuted for the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce featuring a member center, events section, a member spotlight recognition, and so much more.
President Dustin Dahl told the La Mirada Blog the board is “very excited to go live” with their new website and is eager to show the members what they have been working on the last few months.
The new site at www.lamiradachamber.org features menu interactive tools highlighting the many benefits of becoming a La Mirada Chamber member including a membership center, calendar, maps, directory, current news, and much more.
Helping businesses grow in the La Mirada area since 1958, the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce has a rich history of being considered one of the most prestigious chambers in Southern California.
For more information call (562) 902-1970.
After Almost a Decade of Delays, New Housing Development in La Mirada Breaks Ground
La Mirada~Although the city is basically built-out when it comes to new housing developments, there are still small-scale possibilities, even if they seem to take forever to commence.
After nine long years, and countless delays, construction on The Orchards housing development in La Mirada began earlier this week at the site of the old Alondra Center.
The former outdoor strip mall located at Alondra Boulevard and Escalona Road was demolished in 2008.
Using bulldozers and other heavy equipment, construction workers were clearing debris and performing grading work on the land.
The 3.93 acre Alondra Center site was purchased recently by Irvine-based Brandywine after construction was stalled by a lengthy state environmental remediation process.
“We are very pleased to see construction begin on Brandywine’s new housing development in La Mirada,” says City Manager Tom Robinson. “Having such an experienced private developer invest millions of dollars into building new housing in our community reflects the strength of the housing market in La Mirada.”
It all began in March of 2004 when then City Manager Andrea Travis, at a city council meeting, described the center as “blighted”, and city staff began the–not known at the time-long process of getting the site to be demolished with the intent for the city to purchase it and develop single family homes.
The latter did happen, but the city sold the property back to Brandywine earlier this year, suffering a multi-million dollar loss.
In 2004, it was a controversial decision at the time, with at least one business owner from the center (a second generation family-owned printing business) publicly opposing the decision to demolish the buildings. That business eventually moved to Santa Fe Springs.
But a report from the city’s Community Development Department then indicated the change was necessitated by the condition of the center, along with “poor tenant retention and an increase in vacancies leading to loitering, vandalism and public safety concerns with the overall condition of the center negatively impacted the aesthetics of the City,” it read.
La Mirada Students Place in Top 100 in World’s Largest Student Rocket Contest
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La Mirada High School Rocketry Club: Front Row: Akash Soma, Justin Gocho, Kevin Lim, Emily De Boer; Back Row: Hassaan Shakeel, Ryan Haro, Evan Klansek, Ricardo Jauregui, Zack Hart, James Gallardo, Fernando Tapia |
After months of preparation, La Mirada High School students compete for national title in AIA’s Team America Rocketry Challenge.
The Plains, VA~Eleven students from La Mirada bested more than 625 teams nationally recently to be picked to be one of the 100 hundred schools nationwide to compete in the 2013 Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC).
The top 100 finishers advanced to the National Finals recently held on Saturday, May 11 at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.
La Mirada High’s team received a qualifying score that placed them well within the top 100 teams nationwide, and in the finals, they finished 73rd out of the 100 schools.
They were competing for the national title, $60,000 worth of scholarships and prizes and a chance to participate in NASA’s Student Launch Initiative.
TARC is the world’s largest student rocket contest that aims to inspire students to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
For months, these amateur rocketeers worked to design, build and perfect model rockets that can safely carry one raw egg up to an exact altitude of 750 feet up in the air and return to the ground within 48-50 seconds – a mere two-second window before incurring penalties.
All seniors represented La Mirada High in this year’s contest: Kurush Dubash, Hassaan Shakeel, Emily De Boer, Justin Gocho, Evan Klansek, Fernando Tapia, Ryan Haro, Zach Hart, Kevin Lim, Ricardo Jauregui, and Akash Soma.
Public Invited to Annual Memorial Day Observance at Olive Lawn
Boy Scout Troop 438 and Cub Scout Pack 919 to place American flags at cemetery Saturday the 25th
La Mirada~The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9148 of La Mirada and its Auxiliary will be presenting their annual Memorial Day observance at Olive Lawn Memorial Park on Memorial Day Monday, May 27th at 11:00 am.
Participants will include La Mirada Mayor Steve DeRuse and local community service organizations.
Also, Boy Scouts of America Troops 438 and 919 along with Cub Scout Pack 919 will participate in the ceremony.
The program will include recogniti
on of La Mirada Blue Star families, Afghanistan war casualties, and roll call remembrance of Post and Auxiliary members that have that have died since last Memorial Day.
A Memorial Day address will be delivered by La Mirada resident Rev. Jim Poersehke, Chaplain U.S. Navy retired.
The program is one hour in length with limited seating, so lawn chairs are encouraged if standing would be an issue.
A reception immediately following will be hosted by the VFW Auxiliary at the Post 9148 home located behind the Pep Boys auto center at Valley View Ave and Rosecrans Ave.
Once there, one can admire the new medal and trophy case built by La Mirada High School senior Michael Covarrubias for his Eagle Scout project. Michael built the case for the veterans to display their decorations of honor.
La Mirada High Students Get Dose of Reality in Filming of DUI Incident Reenactment
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT!
La Mirada~On June 3 and 4, 2013, select students from La Mirada High School will take part in the "Every 15 Minutes" event.
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| Crews film mock crash scene in front of La Mirada High School recently. photo Tony Aiello |
The program, started by the Chico Police Department in 1995, is a two-day event focusing on high school juniors and seniors, challenging them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions.
It is conducted at high schools throughout the country and is designed to bring awareness to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration statistic that someone dies in an alcohol related auto accident every 15 minutes in the United States.
Held every other year in La Mirada since 2001, around the time of high school prom and graduation, Every 15 Minutes provides students with a realistic look at the destruction of a drunken driving auto accident involving their classmates.
A number of La Mirada High School students were selected as volunteers to play the role of teenagers involved in a fatal auto accident, featuring a simulated car collision, injured victims, and Sheriff, Fire, and ambulance personnel responding to the scene.
Coordinated by the La Mirada Public Safety Team and officials from La Mirada High School, the two-day realistic event will commence with a visit to a local mortuary and a mock memorial service for several students involved in a hypothetical drinking and driving accident. The Every 15 Minutes program will end with a video demonstration of the auto accident at an assembly on campus the following day. "
“The goal of the Every 15 Minutes program is to make certain that students have an understanding of the serious consequences involved when drinking and driving," explains Safety Education Officer Mary Cipres.
Cipres said well over 20 students participated in the filming and other aspects of the program, "Even if it prevents only one student from drinking and driving, the effort is well worth it," she said.
La Mirada Volunteer Center Robbed at Gunpoint
La Mirada~Thieves ran off with some cash, but no one was injured as the La Mirada Volunteer Center was robbed this past Thursday afternoon in broad daylight.
The incident occurred around 3:50 p.m. in the lobby of the center located at 11900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
There were no clients present and only two employees were on duty when two men entered the building, brandished a handgun and demanded money, sources tell us.
The Volunteer Center handles and processes individuals with court-ordered volunteer requirements.
An undisclosed amount of money was obtained by the thieves.
©2013 La Mirada Blog
Cerritos Speech and Debate Team to Visit La Mirada High
La Mirada~The Cerritos College Speech and Debate team will be visiting the campus of La Mirada High School on Friday, May 17th at 11 a.m.
The Cerritos team will demonstrate and inform the students about the opportunities and benefits that can be obtained from Forensics, which is the overall objective of their visit said member Miles Aiello.
“We will be giving students information that is essential to any individual who is determined to becoming a confident and collective speaker,” Aiello added, “Furthermore, students will learn the benefits of scholarship money that is available to collegiate students who excel in Forensics.”
In addition, the team will be conducting several demonstrations of some of the skills they work on such as dramatic interpretation and impromptu, persuasive speech.
Forensics is an excellent opportunity to sharpen your public speaking skills and the club believes it is valuable to any individual who wants to become a poised and intelligent speaker, which is exactly what they hope to relay to the students at La Mirada.
New Company Provides Fashionable Service for Women
A new fashion and beauty service is available for women in the comfort of their own home.
Fashionable Fete, based in La Mirada, and founded by Beauty Director Erin Benke and Creative Director Susie Mederios, is a service that hosts parties, providing beauty and fashion consulting.
Along with a third associate, Stylist Manager Caryn Valdeserri, they teach the everyday woman the importance of skincare, and techniques such as how to apply foundation properly and how to create a “smoky eye”, and so much more, but they turn the beauty lesson into a party format.
They also offer personal shopping services such as assistance with pulling complete outfits and accessories at stores and personal styling services such as creating complete outfits by assessing what the client already has in her closet.
Their goal is to have every woman leave their parties feeling beautiful, refreshed and having learned fashion and beauty tips that she can use in her everyday world.
Benke, who has years of experience in Hollywood as a personal stylist, told the La Mirada Blog that they offer the service keeping household budgets in mind, “With my years of experience in Hollywood on the red carpet and movie sets, I decided to bring my fashion and beauty expertise to the home and for a minimal fee.”
“Women deserve to be appreciated and respected. When a woman feels beautiful, she emanates happiness and she becomes more confident,” Benke said, “When a woman is more confident she gets more respect at work and at home. She is more daring and self-assured and realizes she can conquer the world-one lipstick at a time!”
There is no sales pitch at any of the parties Fashionable Fete hosts.
To schedule an appointment or to get more information on everything Fashionable Fete has to offer call (562) 896-2819, email info@fashionablefete.com or browse their website at fashionablefete.com.
Things Are Going Swimmingly for La Mirada High
La Mirada~ Qualifiers for the 2013 CIF Southern Section Championships were learned recently for high school swimming, with La Mirada High garnering a number of spots.
The event will take place at Riverside Community College with preliminaries on Wednesday, May 8th and the Finals taking place on Friday, May 10th.
In boys, La Mirada had at at least one swimmer qualify in each individual event: boys 200 free (Shane Chambers, Anthony Melero), 200 IM (Christian Park) , 50 free (Evan Klansek), 100 fly (Ryan Poff, Sean Lundin) and 100 free (Evan Klansek).
Also, in the 500 free (Sean Lundin, Shane Chambers, Trent Beauchamp-Sanchez), 100 back (Trent Beauchamp Sanchez) and 100 breast (Ross Jasso)
Girls that qualified in individual events include: 500 free (Barbara Chumsatya) and 100 back (Jillian Peart).
Also, all relay teams made to CIF for La Mirada who will be competing in Division 4.
Real time race results Wenesdy and Friday can be found here: http://www.swimphone.com/mobile/meets/meet_menu.cfm?smid=4729
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Mayfair Win Streak Halted by Bellflower Setting up Showdown with La Mirada for Suburban League Crown
La Mirada~Here we go again.
In what seems like an annual ritual, La Mirada and Mayfair will once again battle for a league championship this season after a miscue went La Mirada’s way in a game they weren’t even playing.
The two teams will square off (both at 9-1), in the final two games of the season Tuesday and Thursday of this week.
This past Friday, a mishandled throw at first base after Frank Armenta of Bellflower laid down a two-strike sacrifice bunt in the eighth inning, allowed the Buccaneers to beat Mayfair 3-2, ending the Monsoons 23-game Suburban League winning streak dating back to 2010.
The Soons last loss was to La Mirada on May 6, 2011 when the Mats beat them 5-3.
Mayfair (19-7, 9-1) is looking for their third straight league championship after sharing the league title with La Mirada in 2011.
Prior to that, the Matadores won the title four of the five previous seasons. Actually, no school has claimed a title in Suburban League baseball the last seven seasons other than Mayfair or La Mirada.
The Mats (18-9-1, 9-1) are riding a eight-game league winning streak of their own, last losing to Bellflower 1-0 on March 26th.
The home-and-home series begins Tuesday at La Mirada, and shifts to Mayfair on Thursday. Game times are 3:00 p.m.
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