La Mirada Blog
Articles by Tony Aiello
Brooks Returns to Classroom; No Word Yet If He Will Return as Coach
La Mirada~Long time baseball coach Kim Brooks returned to his La Mirada High classroom today pending a further internal investigation into an incident involving him recently, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Wayne Shannon told the La Mirada Blog.
Brooks was placed on administrative leave by the district over two weeks ago when a recording of a profanity-laced tirade directed at his players surfaced.
Shannon told the La Mirada Blog the district "anticipates completing its investigation by the end of next week."
Shannon said, “They have received preliminary findings that indicate it is appropriate to return Mr. Brooks to the classroom at this time. As such, Mr. Brooks has been taken off paid leave and returned to his teaching assignment.”
Shannon said because the investigation is ongoing, the district cannot comment further at this time.
La Mirada Blog fan Angela Umeres (@angieumerus), one of his students tweeted, "Class felt so great with him back."
At this time, it is still pending if Brooks will be reinstated as head baseball coach or as the Athletic Director for the school.
La Mirada lost 8-0 to Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 2 Semifinal this past Tuesday with Jim Zurn coaching the team.
copyright La Mirada Blog 2014 | This story first appeared on our Tumblr feed earlier this morning here.
EXCLUSIVE: Brooks Returns to La Mirada High
La Mirada~Baseball coach Kim Brooks has returned to the La Mirada High School campus, the La Mirada Blog has learned.
Officials from the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District met with the teacher on Wednesday and
NLMUSD Superintendent Guest Speaker at Chamber Breakfast
La Mirada~The Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez will be the guest speaker at the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce Monthly Tuesday Breakfast, June 3rd from 8:00-9:30 a.m.
The breakfast will be held at The Green Chile Restaurant, 13926 Imperial Highway in La Mirada.
Dr. Perez will also have a school district staff member accompanying her to discuss the district bid process for local small businesses in the area.
La Mirada Mayor Larry Mowles is also expected to be in attendance.
The cost is $15.00 for chamber members and $20.00 for non-members.
Fire Engulfs Santa Fe Springs Cardboard Recycling Plant
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| A fire truck stands guard at the south side of Pan Pacific Fiber, Inc Recycling, adjacent to the BNSF Railroad tracks, in Santa Fe Springs early Thursday evening as a fire rages out of control within the plant. Photo Joseph Flores |
NEW RAW VIDEO 19:11 053014: Just released footage of the scene moments after fire began, as first responders arrived here.
UPDATE 22:31 052914: The fire continues to burn at this hour, although contained. The recycling center appears to deal exclusively with cardboard with hundreds of bales weighing two tons each stacked on top of each other.
Burning at this hour is cardboard stored inside the buildings on the property, the Santa Fe Springs Fire Chief Mike Crook told the La Mirada Blog at the scene.
This raises questions as to if the cardboard was stored illegally on the site.
The La Mirada Blog was on the scene moments after the fire started and we reported that the Downey Fire Department assisted with the fire.
Crook told us, along with Downey, fire departments from Vernon, Compton, L.A. County, La Habra Heights, and Montebello also assisted.
"We are going to be here all night," said Crook, "we're going to have overhaul it, possibly bring in a bulldozer, we have a lot of work ahead of us."
Santa Fe Springs~An enormous fire broke out this evening engulfing the Pan Pacific Fiber Inc. recycling center located at 14013 Marquardt Avenue in Santa Fe Springs along the border of La Mirada.
It is unclear at this time what started the fire. No injuries are reported at this time.
As of 8:00 p.m. firefighters form the Santa Fe Springs, L.A. County, Compton and Downey continue to battle the blaze.
Check our Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/lamiradablog for exclusive information and photos.
We will have further as it becomes available.
La Mirada High Athletic Director Suspended After Tirade
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| La Mirada High baseball coach Kim Brooks has been placed on administrative leave by the NLMUSD. photo courtesy Deadspin |
La Mirada~La Mirada High Athletic Director and head baseball coach Kim Brooks has been suspended by the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District after an audio recording surfaced of him cursing at his players according to NBC4/LA and the Whittier Daily News.
Reportedly, the audio clip was recorded by an unidentified La Mirada player.
In the recording Brooks could be heard using the f-bomb at least a dozen times.
Brooks, who is also a social science teacher at the school was pulled from his classroom Tuesday morning as an investigation is now underway.
A high-ranking source within the school district has told the La Mirada Blog that "it is highly improbable he would return" to his AD post at the school.
Brooks will not be in the dugout for the teams first-round CIF playoff game tomorrow against Pasadena. It is expected coach Jimmy Zurn will be at the helm for the game.
Listen to the audio clip of the lambasting here.
Read comments and reaction from the community on our Facebook feed here and our Twitter feed here.
We will report more about this incident as it is learned.
Fire on Gandesa Appears to Have Destroyed Home
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| Photo sent in by a La Mirada Blog follower on Twitter shows flames coming out of home on Gandesa Road last night. |
La Mirada~A fire broke out last night at a home on Gandesa Road in La Mirada.
We originally reported the blaze at 9:03 p.m. on our Twitter feed.
Firefighters knocked the blaze down within an hour.
La Mirada Blog Twitter followers on Los Fuentes reported embers falling in their yards.
We have an unconfirmed report from another follower that the owner of the house that caught on fire was out of town.
That is all we have at this time. If more pertinent information becomes available we will update here, within this article.
See a photo of the home in the next day's aftermath here.
See a short video clip of the incident here.
050514 21:49 UPDATE: Homeowner was home at time of fire and is OK, her roommate was out of town.
Shooting Rattles La Mirada Neighborhood
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| Image from La Mirada Blog YouTube channel shows deputies placing evidence markers at the scene of a shooting earlier this afternoon in La Mirada |
La Mirada~Shots were fired at a person standing outside a home at the northeast corner of Valley View and Mansa Drive this afternoon around 12:40 p.m.
The victim was a male hispanic in his early 20's according to Lieutenant Jason Skeen of the Norwalk Sheriff's Station. It is unclear if the victim resides in the home he was standing in front of.
Skeen told the La Mirada Blog the victim was transported to a local hospital and is expected to survive and may even be released by now.
Witnesses on the scene said they were in their homes on Mansa Drive and heard as many as 8-10 rounds ring out.
Skeen told us that the anti-gang unit Operation Safe Streets (OSS) has taken over the investigation but fell short of calling the incident gang related.
However, the La Mirada Blog has learned that the officers initially broadcast on the sheriff dispatch that a gang epithet was shouted out by the suspects before the shooting.
The La Mirada Blog has also learned the suspects, who reportedly drove off northbound on Valley View, were driving a custom-style white vehicle, possibly a BMW, although the sheriff's department would not confirm this.
Skilled NLMUSD Students Head to State Competition
SkillsUSA regional winners advance to leadership conference
San Diego~Showcasing the vast array of skills acquired at Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District high schools, nearly 90 students will represent the district at the SkillsUSA 47th Annual State Leadership and Skill Conference this weekend, Thursday April 24th through Sunday April 27th.
SkillsUSA, a partnership of students, teachers and industry partners working together to ensure the United States has an accomplished workforce, will test the students’ expertise in a wide variety of career- and technical-education skills that range from automotive technology and welding to broadcast news production and nursing.
Students from La Mirada, John Glenn and Norwalk high schools and Southeast Academy advanced to the state competition after winning in the SkillsUSA Regional Competition that included students from Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties.
This year, the La Mirada High SkillsUSA team expanded to include students in the ACE business academy and APPLE education academy Career Pathways programs, said LMHS Principal Bill Seals. In the past, the SkillsUSA team consisted of only welding students.
“Both first-time competitors and seasoned veterans performed very well,” Seals said. “The competition at the regional level was fierce, but our students showed very well. I’m confident they will pull out all the stops at the state level.”
Students From La Mirada High Will Compete at SkillsUSA 47th Annual State Leadership and Skill Conference
La Mirada~Eleven La Mirada High School students will go on to compete in the SkillsUSA statewide competition from April 24-27 in San Diego.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure the United States has a skilled workforce.
Students competed at the regional level in the areas of Criminal Justice, Speech, Job Interviews, Health Occupations, Entrepreneurship, Web Design, Early Childhood Development, Community Service, Human Services, T-Shirt Design, Manufacturing, Marketing and Welding.
La Mirada High earned 28 gold medals, 23 silver medals and six bronze medals.
Tony-Award Winning and Legendary CATS Opens at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
La Mirada~La Mirada theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fourth production in its 2013-1014 season of shows with one of the most popular musical events of all-time, the Tony award-winning, CATS, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot, with musical direction by John Glaudini and directed and choreographed by Dana Solimando. CATS will feature Kelly Provart as Grizabella and Todrick Hall (whose hilarious YOUTUBE video parodies have been seen by millions of viewers) as Rum Tum Tugger.
Based on the universally popular poetry of T.S. Eliot, CATS tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at which time one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. A true musical theatre phenomenon, CATS opened at London's New London Theatre on May 11, 1981 and ran for a record-setting 21 years. CATS' London success was nearly matched on Broadway where it ran at the Winter Garden Theatre for just over 18 years.
CATS will preview on Friday, April 18, 2014 (with a press opening on Saturday, April 19) and run through Sunday, May 11, 2014.
Performances will be 7:30pm on Wednesdays & Thursdays; 8pm on Fridays; 2pm and 8pm on Saturdays; and 2pm on Sundays. (with two added Sunday evening performances; May 4 and May 11 at 7:00pm).
There will be no matinee performance on Saturday, April 19. Talkbacks with the actors will be on Wednesday, April 23 and Wednesday, May 7.
Tickets range from $20 - $70 and can be purchased at La Mirada Theatre’s website, www.lamiradatheatre.com or by calling the La Mirada Theatre Box Office at (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. Student, Senior and group discounts are available.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue where the 91 and 5 freeways meet. Parking is free.
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