La Mirada Blog
Articles by Tony Aiello
Traffic Incident Snarls Traffic at Theatre Center
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| Photo sent into the La Mirada Blog by Twitter follower shows victim being loaded into ambulance. |
La Mirada~Two cars collided last night in La Mirada resulting in one victim being transported to the hospital.
The incident occurred a little after 9 p.m. at Rosecrans Avenue and the La Mirada Theatre Center's north entrance; located next to Panera Bread.
Apparently the vehicle traveling westbound on Rosecrans was attempting to turn into the center, and was cut off by the vehicle traveling eastbound on Rosecrans also attempting to turn into the center, said Lt. Woolum of the Norwalk Sheriff's Station.
She said both vehicles were traveling at a slow rate of speed and the accident was considered minor.
However, one victim was transported to the hospital complaining of neck pain.
Photos sent in our by Twitter fans show the two vehicles involved were SUV's.
Get instant La Mirada news at twitter.com/lamiradablog
La Mirada Cub Scouts to Host Recruitment Night
La Mirada~The Cub Scout Pack 919 of La Mirada is holding their Fall Round-up Recruitment Night this Friday, September 21, 2012, at 6 p.m.
The location of the event is the Community Presbyterian Church, 13701 Hillsborough Drive in La Mirada (near Behringer Park).
Cub scouting is a program tailored for boys 1st through 5th grade, guiding and helping them to become reliant, dependable, and caring individuals.
For almost 50 years, Pack 919 of La Mirada, has been weaving lifetime values into fun and educational activities designed to assist parents in strengthening character, good citizenship, and physical fitness in youth.
Along with teaching family values, scouting offers a lot of fun including family camps, hikes, bike rides and many other fantastic events, making it fun with a purpose!
For additional information contact Cub Master Moses Covarrubias at (562) 774-7439.
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.
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