La Mirada Blog
Articles by Tony Aiello
Game Stop in La Mirada Robbed
La Mirada~A theft occurred tonight at the Game Stop at 15724 Rosecrans Avenue in La Mirada.
Lieutenant Woolum of the Norwalk Sheriff's Station told the La Mirada Blog that around 6:23 p.m. a male Hispanc, described as in his early 20's and wearing sunglasses and jeans, took an iPad and two iPhones from the store.
There was no last seen direction, or any description of any getaway vehicle available.
If you have any information about the theft please contact the Norwalk Sheriff's Staton at (562) 863-8711.
Stabbing Near Marquez Restaurant in Norwalk Leaves Victim in Critical but Stable Condition
Less then two miles from La Mirada city limits
Norwalk~Members of law enforcement converged at Marquez Restaurant at Rosecrans Avenue and Pontlavoy Street in Norwalk to investigate a stabbing on Saturday afternoon that has left one person in crtical but stable condition.
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Blood soaked entrance outside of Marquez Restaurant on Rosecrans Avenue in Norwalk on Saturday afternoon. Tony Aiello Photo |
According to a spokesperson at the Norwalk Sheriffs Department, the stabbing took place at 1:28 p.m. near the popular local establishment that has been in operation for generations.
The entire neighborhood was cordoned off by members of the Norwalk Sheriff’s Department. The stabbing victim was taken to a local hospital and the suspect or suspect(s) remain at large.
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE BY TONY AIELLO. LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER. LA MIRADA LAMPLIGHTER.
La Mirada to Eliminate Assistant City Manager Position
La Mirada~To cut costs, the City of La Mirada recently announced it will not fill the Assistant City Manager position left vacant by Kevin Prelgovisk’s retirement last month.
Prelogovisk previously served as the City’s Administrative Services director, overseeing the City’s annual budget. That position will remain eliminated as well.
City Manager Tom Robinson told us that he does not anticipate the Assistant City Manager will be occupied in the future.
The elimination of the position will save the city $136,000 a year; however other city staff members will have to take on a larger workload and additional responsibilities, according to a city statement.
Our dig into public records show in 2011-12, Prelogovisk earned $6,280.66 on a biweekly basis-roughly $150,000 a year. He also received a $275 monthly car allowance.
Former assistants to the city manager, Jeff Boynton and Anne Haraksin will be upgraded to Deputy City Managers, and Personnel Manager Cristina Cota will assume resp
onsibility for overseeing risk management duties, according to the statement.
Two members of the City’s finance staff, Judy Quiñonez and Melissa Pascual, have been upgraded to senior accountants, and given additional responsibilities in the supervising of the City’s finances, in Prelgovisk’s absence.
“La Mirada lost an excellent assistant city manager due to Kevin Prelgovisk’s retirement, but during these difficult economic times we must seize opportunities to reduce the size of local government,” said City Manager Tom Robinson. “I am confident that the employees involved in these adjustments to La Mirada’s ongoing downsizing of staff will perform their new duties very well.”
John Warren Recognized for his Volunteer Efforts to Sheriff Patrol
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| John Warren, center holding plaque, was recognized recently at a city council for his community service. He is surrounded by his VOP colleagues. Also in photo, Mayor Gabe Garcia, front left; Norwalk Sheriff Station Captain Pat Maxwell, back center, and to his right, La Mirada Lieutenant Pat Valdez. |
La Mirada~At last week’s meeting, the city council recognized Sheriff’s Department volunteer John Warren for his dedicated service to the community and presented him with a recognition plaque.
Warren is part of the Volunteers on Patrol (VOP) team at the Norwalk Sheriff’s Station and was recently selected as the Sheriff’s Region 3 Volunteer of the Year.
The VOPS serve as a valuable resource to La Mirada’s Public Safety Team, acting as the eyes and the ears of the Sheriff’s Department. They identify suspicious activities, report crimes in progress, and identify dangerous situations.
John joined the U.S. Air Force after graduating high school at a time when the nation was embroiled in the Vietnam War.
After his time in the military he completed the Police Academy; however he then enjoyed a 32 year career with Unified Grocers.
John volunteered for the Red Cross for about 15 years. He was a CPR and Advanced First Aid Instructor, coordinating a Red Cross first aid team.
John joined the Norwalk VOP team about three years ago and has logged 2,248 hours through June 2012. He works close to 40 hours a week patrolling La Mirada, Norwalk, and the Unincorporated County area.
Also, he currently serves as a Volunteer Training officer for VOP and has trained more than 25 volunteers. He also sits on the Norwalk Station Volunteer Board of Directors and has implemented programs with tools to aid volunteers in scheduling and tracking their time.
John and his wife Debbie live in Whittier, they have one son and tw
Church has Stained Glass Potrait Refurbished
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| Workers put the finishing touches on the stained glass portrait of Jesus at the Fountain of Life Lutheran Church in La Mirada. |
La Mirada~If you have taken a walk along Biola Avenue just north of Biola University, especially at night, you more than likely have seen it-the large stained glass portrait of Jesus that adorns the front of the Fountain of Life Community Church.
For the first time ever, repairs had to be made recently, to the towering twenty foot glass mural, which is comprised of 13 large segments pieced together.
The church, located at 13518 Biola Avenue in La Mirada is the former Mt. Olive Lutheran Church established in La Mirada in 1957-three years before La Mirada’s incorporation as a city.
The name change came about when the church merged with Hope Lutheran Church of Whittier in 2008.
The church is also home to the La Mirada Community Garden, located in the rear of the property.
The portrait, which is 54 years old, is original to the building and reportedly has survived a fire and numerous earthquakes.
According to church Secretary Betty Emery, the rendering has begun to show its age in recent years, saying the
sectionals had become loose in their casings, and the church was concerned they would fall out.
A company in Pasadena that specializes in stained glass repair was contacted and they extracted the pieces, then restored and reinstalled the sections securely.
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| The view from the inside of the church |
“Now we are good for another 50 years,” said Emery.
Apparently, there is quite a demand in the industry for these types of repairs and installations at churches, “We had to wait almost two months for their business, because so many other churches have had the same problem,” said Emery.
With the installation now complete, evening walkers along Biola will once again be able to view the illuminated portrait.
For more information about the Fountain of Life Community Church, including their service times, call (562) 941-4610.
Transformation of a Neighborhood: Breezewood, A Redevelopment Success Story
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| This Google Maps aerial shot shows the Breezewood Village, with Green Hills Shopping Center to the left. Dulles Elementary School can be seen on the bottom right. Imperial Highway is on top and is north. "It was a cesspool up and down the street"-former city manager Gary Sloan |
Check this story out in the print edition of this weekend's La Mirada Lamplighter!
La Mirada~The State of California may have did away with city redevelopment agencies (RDA’s), but a great example of how the system was designed to work, is represented well in La Mirada.
The Breezewood Village Residential Community-an RDA project- hosted their 10th Anniversary celebration last Thursday night. It was attended by Breezewood residents and staff, along with numerous representatives from city hall including city council members Steve DeRuse and Steve Jones.
California's approximately 400 municipal RDA’s were eliminated as part of a cost-saving measure by the state last year. The repercussions and details of this action, and the affect it will have on cities, is still currently being worked out in court.
In 1999, the city, along with its RDA, used its eminent domain power to tear down the 30-unit apartment building on the site that also included five duplexes.
The area is bordered by Imperial Highway to the north, Breezewood Drive to south and east, and the Green Hills shopping center to the west.
At the time, the dwellings suffered from the influx of drugs, prostitution, high crime, and child neglect among other things, and really was an undesirable and unsafe area of La Mirada-all within 500 feet of Dulles Elementary school.
One of the worst units on the property was owned by former Cerritos city council member Sherman Kapee.
After the property was condemned, the LA County Fire Department used it for training, and literally burnt it down.
La Mirada City Council Votes to Put Tax Measure on November Ballot
La Mirada~On Tuesday night, the La Mirada City Council voted 5-0 to adopt an ordinance to place a 1 percent tax revenue measure on the November 6th ballot.
La Mirada voters will decide if the sales tax in the city will be raised from 8.75 percent to 9.75 percent.
If approved, the increase would go into effect April 3, 2013 and would last five years.
According to a city report, the city is claiming it needs the tax to pay for immediate infrastructure needs.
Recently, a study identified $67 million worth of work that needs to be done to repair city streets, curbs, gutters, storm drains, and traffic signals.
The report also stated that an additional $126,932,000 has also been identified as being required to fund other community wants, such as privately owned deteriorated block walls.
The city declared a fiscal emergency this past February 14th.
La Mirada Resident Plays Music as Therapy After Brush With Death
La Mirada~La Mirada resident Kenny Metcalf who “was at death’s doorstep” just a few short years ago, will headline at the Orange County Fair July 27th and the Los Angeles
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| Elton-The Early Years Will Play at the Orange County Fair July 27th and the LA County Fair September 7th. |
County Fair September 7th with his tribute band “Elton-The Early Years.”
He is another of one of the many teen musicians in La Mirada from the 1960’s and 70’s that still play music in one form or another today.
Metcalf’s family moved to La Mirada in 1964 from an area in Inglewood that was directly affected by the Watts riots that year a short time later.
“For me growing up in the 70’s in La Mirada; it was party central. We all grew up at the same time and the city didn’t know what to do with all of us. I lived here when you could ride motorcycles at Regional Park before there was a Regional Park. It was a small town, everybody knew everybody, and it was full of kids.”
He decided he wanted to play music when he saw the Beatles on TV and chose the drums. He grew up taking music lessons at the La Mirada Mall and other places, and was in the Los Coyotes Intermediate School Band.
But it was his freshmen year in 1973 at La Mirada High School that would determine his musical path and when the Elton “bug” first hit him.
“A guy walks into the drama room, his name was Marty Adams, who was a junior, and he started playing Benny and the Jets which was number one on the charts at that time. Then all the girls in the room gathered around him. I turned to a friend and told him I’ve never had that effect on a girl playing drums.
So, since my Mom had just bought a piano, I went home and taught myself to play.After 10 years, I gave up playing drums and started jamming with other guys I had met in La Mirada.”
Metcalf is part of a long list of local La Mirada teen musicians that performed back then including: Mark Servi, Mike Ferlita, Joe Caruso, Don Brennan, Anthony Cortez, Joe Allesandro, Steve Gage, Mark Cortez and others.
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| Kenny at his home studio. |
Brennan is performing at this year’s La Mirada Blog Fest August 18th at Regional Park.
In 1977, Kenny assembled a band called Amulet and entered the band in the first talent contest at the newly opened La Mirada Civic Auditorium and has a funny story to tell, “Our band got mispronounced at the show, they called it The Kenny Metcalf Band, and the other guys got real mad at me at the time.”
In that same talent show there was a band called Robert Sweet and the Firestorm Band. This band went on to become Stryper, the well-known heavy metal Christian band. Kenny toured as the original keyboardist for them in 1985-86. Before they embarked on their world tour, he says he left the group to raise his kids.
Amulet, which featured Metcalf, Servi, Ferlita, and Allesandro played again at the La Mirada Theatre in 1978 in front of a packed house of 1200 people and they were featured in an article in the La Mirada Lamplighter newspaper.
Metcalf married his wife Evelyn in 1980 and they have resided in La Mirada for the past seven years after raising two children Desiree and Sharlene. Evelyn was his junior high school sweetheart.
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts Shatters Sales Record
Peter Pan and Miss Saigon lead the way in setting box office mark; 2012-13 also on record setting pace
La Mirada~The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts has set box office records in overall and individual categories this past season the city announced recently.
“It was an exciting year for us, this is not just your grandmother’s La Mirada Theatre,” said Producing Artistic Director Brian Kite.
Record total sales of $2,392,357 were set by McCoy Rigby Entertainment’s (MRE) Broadway Series in its 2011-12 season at the theatre.
Peter Pan, starring famed actress and Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby, closed the season out last month.
Single ticket sales, those sold essentially to non-subscribers, came in at $1,371,444 during the year, almost tripling the $531,741 in the prior year. In addition, $25,515 in donations was received through the MRE series.
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| The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, seen here on Sunday, was transformed from a neighborhood movie house to a performing arts center in 1977. photo Tony Aiello |
Pan became the highest selling show in the 35-year history of the theatre and Miss Saigon, from this past April, took second place on La Mirada’s all-time list of best selling productions. Both shows were attended by more than 22,500 patrons during their 21 performances.
This was Rigby’s fourth stint as Peter after temporarily retiring from the role in 2006.
The MRE Broadway Series also included performances of Noises Off, Life Could Be A Dream, The 39 Steps, and a special appearance by Debby Boone.
We asked Kite what can be attributed to the success at the box office, “McCoy-Rigby continues to provide quality productions along with support from the city. We also have a great staff here and they are very excited. We are getting new people from La Mirada and new people from all over the area coming to the theatre,” he said.
Kite also indicated the theatre has attracted and captured a new audience, “We have been very successful with our social media campaign, it seems to have brought in a younger crowd to add to our other age groups, and our season-ticket holders.”
“We are still a great deal, a better deal than any of the L.A. Theatres. It’s been a tough few years (economically) for a lot of people, and we provide quality entertainment. People want to get out. They want to have a good time, and they want to bring their families. We provide that here in La Mirada.”
Kiwanis Club of La Mirada Present Scholarships to La Mirada High Seniors
La Mirada~The Kiwanis Club of La Mirada presented their scholarship awards to nine La Mirada high school seniors who are interested in continuing their education.
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| Lou Piltz and Rich Trujillo from the Kiwanis of La Mirada are flanked by this year's LMHS scholarship recepients. photo Kiwanis Club |
The students were presented with their gifts at a ceremony this past Tuesday at the school.
Students were judged on their merit, grades, school activity; along with their community involvement and accomplishments.
This year’s winners received scholarship amounts totally $11,000, with 14 students overall, receiving gifts.
Scholarship amounts are awarded in the amounts of $500 and $1000.
La Mirada High School students who received $1000 were Teresa Co, Phyong-Lien Ngheim, Megan Hoyarek, Ramon Visaiz and Christy Pflanzer.
$500 recipients included Melissa Aceves, Eric Matheny, Nicholas Sanchez-McCormick and Nicholas Popoy.
For over 30 years, the service club has offered the scholarships. To qualify, students must reside in La Mirada, but can be attending any high school.
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