Community
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.
Sheriff Volunteers to Host Fundraiser
La Mirada~The Los Angeles County Sheriff Volunteers on Patrol (VOPS) serving La Mirada will be hosting a Goodwill Donation Drive fundraiser this Saturday, August 4th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the city hall parking lot at 13700 La Mirada Boulevard.
Residents can donate used clothing , housewares, furniture and other miscellaneous items to VOPS. The VOPS program will receive funds in return for the amount of merchandise they collect, per trailer load.
The VOPS serve as a valuable resource to La Mirada's Public Safety team and act as the eyes and the ears of the Sheriff's Department. They identify suspicious activities, report crimes, and identify dangerous situations.
For more info, contact the La Mirada Community Sheriff's station at (562) 902-2960.
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.
John Glenn High Alumni Planning 30-Year Reunion
The John Glenn High School Class of 1982 will be holding its 30-Year High School Reunion on Friday, September 28, 2012 at the Double Tree Hotel (formerly Marriot) in Norwalk, CA. The cost for the event is just $70 per person and includes dinner, dancing and other surprises.
Don’t miss out on this special evening catching up with friends and classmates you grew up with.
For more information, please contact Maclovia Chaidez Esnayra via email at macchaidez@gmail.com. You may also contact Maclovia Chaidez Esnayra, Socorro Lazalde or Yolanda Romo Ortega on Facebook for additional information, comments and questions.
The committee members are Anabell Ortega Sanchez, Socorro Lazalde, Yolanda Romo Ortega and Maclovia Chaidez Esnayra.
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.
Area Gears Up for Annual Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Show at La Mirada Regional Park
La Mirada~La Mirada’s annual Independence Celebration will be held Tuesday, July 3 from 4 to 9:30 p.m. at La Mirada Regional Park.
The celebration will include live music by Variety Country band "The Skinny Little Twits", as well as the Rolling Stones Tribute Band "The Ultimate Stones".
A variety of tasty
food will be on sale by La Mirada’s local community service and athletic groups inlcluding the world famous tri tip sandwiches served up by La Mirada Kiwanis.
The celebration will conclude with a patriotic program and fireworks spectacular.
As a reminder to all those coming to the celebration, charcoal barbeques are not permitted at the park. To help prevent trip hazards, rope and caution tape around picnic areas should not be used.
Also, be sure to keep the following guidelines in mind on the day of the event:
Parking: In addition to parking at La Mirada Regional Park, overflow parking is available at the La Mirada High School stadium lot, BIOLA University (entrance off of La Mirada Blvd.), and Civic Center Plaza. All red curb restrictions are being enforced. Patrons parking in red zones will be issued citations. Parking along Foster Road is allowed only after "No Parking" signs have been covered the day of the event by the City.
Shuttle Service: La Mirada Transit will be available to transport patrons to and from the BIOLA University parking lot to La Mirada Regional Park. Shuttle service is provided from 4 to 10 p.m.
Picnic Areas: Patrons are allowed to set-up picnic areas the morning of July 3. Caution tape and rope create trip hazards and are not allowed. Any area of the park is open to patrons unless marked for event use. Charcoal Barbeques are not allowed. La Mirada Regional Park is open from dawn to dusk. Overnight campers will be considered in violation of park hours and may be cited.
For more information, please call (562) 943-7277 or visit www.cityoflamirada.org.
Bike Trail Closes for One Year
Santa Fe Springs~The North Fork Coyote Creek bike trail has been closed by Caltrans for one year.
The trail, used by many La Mirada residents, is located on Foster Road, just east of Marquadt Avenue just outside of the city limits in Santa Fe Springs.
Caltrans says the closure is necessary because it falls within the limits of the I-5 South Corridor Improvement Project scheduled to be completed in 2015.
The trails travels 13 miles to Seal Beach, meeting up with the Mid San Gabriel trail about six miles from the ocean, in northeast Long Beach.
For more information call 855-454-6335 or visit our links page and click the I-5 South Corridor Improvement Project link.
La Mirada Kiwanis Announce Scholarship Recipients
La Mirada~The Kiwanis Club of La Mirada recently announced their recipients for this year's scholarship awards to high school seniors who are interested in continuing their education.
"We are excited to present the awards to our 2012 group, who are a great bunch of kids," said La Mirada Kiwanis Scholarship Chairperson Lou Piltz.
For over 30 years, the Kiwanis Club of La Mirada has offered the scholarships; open to all current high school seniors.
Scholarship amounts are awarded in the amounts of $500 and $1000, this year totally $11,000, with 14 students overall, receiving gifts.
To qualify, students must reside in La Mirada, but can be attending any high school.
Piltz said the applicants were judged on "their merit, grades, school activity; along with their community involvement and accomplishments, and other determining factors."
This year, three students attending high schools outside of La Mirada were rewarded. They include Alexa Ortega-Ramirez of La Serna High School who received $1000; Jonathan Reveles, Whittier Christian High School, $500; and Caitlyn Cappadona, St. Joseph High School (Lakewood), $500.
El Camino High School winners were Courtney Morrison ($1000) and Zoraya Silva ($1000).
The remaining winning students are all attending La Mirada High School. They are: Teresa Co ($1000), Phyong-Lien Ngheim ($1000), Megan Hoyarek ($1000), Ramon G Visaiz ($1000), Christy Pflanzer ($1000), Melissa Aceves ($500), Eric Matheny ($500), Nicholas Sanchez-McCormick ($500), and Nicholas Popoy ($500).
For La Mirada High School students, they will be presented with their prize by Kiwanis, at a tea on the campus Monday June 18th. The time is still yet to be determined.
For the El Camino students, a presentation ceremony will be held Thursday, June 21st.
La Mirada Salutes Veterans at Olive Lawn Memorial Park
La Mirada~A beautiful La Mirada spring morning greeted over 300 people as they attended the annual Memorial Day Program at Olive Lawn Memorial Park in La Mirada this past Monday.The traditional program was hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) La Mirada Post 9148, its Ladies Auxiliary, and Olive Lawn-along with added support provided by the City of La Mirada.
Past Commander of the Post, Rick Bergquist, presided over the ceremony, informing the crowd the holiday was formerly known as Decoration Day, and originated after the American
Civil War. But by the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars.
He explained that in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order "to create a convenient three-day weekend," which drew a chuckle from the crowd.
Numerous American flags peppered the cemetery on this day, placed on veteran's graves by Boy Scouts, "La Mirada is well represented by the veteran community here," said Berquist.
Christopher Guerra (Troop 919), a Boy Scouts of America Life Scout, led the crowd for the Pledge of Allegiance.
An inspiring Memorial Day address was given by Captain Roy Twaddell, Chaplain, California State Military Reserve.
The glorious voice of Jacinda Perez filled the park, captivating and consuming the crowd with her rendition of "God Bless America."
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