Community
La Mirada Students Adapt to Covid-19 in Silver Award/Mental Health Campaign Effort
La Mirada~Eighth graders Sofia Orozco and Alexa Martinez co-created the “Mental Health Tackle Team” to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award and ended up developing a timely resource for students when school moved outside of the classroom due to COVID-19.
This project has taken away the stigma around mental health and helped students understand, cope and learn to live in an uncertain world.
The girls began planning in September of last year to find a community-centric topic both were passionate about. After much research, it was clear that Mental Health was a much-needed forum in an already troubled world.
The girls met with local counseling centers to explore and develop their plan. They wanted to create a safe forum for open dialogue and education to remove the stigma and help students understand, cope and function during these unprecedented times.
The originally planned four-week campaign was to be launched during Mental Health Awareness month this past May and Sofia and Alexa began with the mission statement, “To promote positive mental health through awareness and open discussion and to encourage students with tools and resources to successfully TACKLE their mental health.”
Their plan was to highlight one topic per week that included coping skills. The sessions were to focus on definitions and discussions around anxiety, depression, and stress. Each week a coping mechanism was presented through video calls, which included; belly breathing, creative outlets and open discussions around social distancing and COVID-19 at Safer-at-Home guidelines.
Pro-Law Enforcement Demonstration Planned for La Mirada City Hall July 18th
Local organizers are inviting the La Mirada community to join a campaign to gather at city halls across the nation to support law enforcement.
The event will take place Saturday July 18th beginning at 11:00 a.m. at La Mirada City Hall, 13700 La Mirada Boulevard.
Public Speaking Workshop at Civitas Coffee
La Mirada-Learn the basics of public speaking and be empowered to use communication to impact your community at Civitas Coffee Thursday February 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Miles Aiello of One Eighty Brand will discuss key aspects and rudimentary concepts of creating a good speech, how to captivate your audience and cover essential details that he learned through his experiences at Cerritos College and University of California, Berkeley.
This is a unique fundamental workshop that will provide you with the tools to become a better speaker.
Admittance is $5.00 and includes a complimentary drink! Cash or Venmo at the door. Please arrive early-space is limited.
Civitas Coffee is located at 14218 ½ Rosecrans Avenue at Valley View Avenue in La Mirada.
For more information call (562) 712-2629.
Plan Your Own Tour of La Mirada Holiday Light Displays
There are some great holiday light displays in La Mirada. The city recently released the winners of its annual home decorating program. Judging took place December 1-12. Plan your own self-guided tour of La Mirada homes and you’ll probably find some hidden treasures in addition to the winners listed here. Send us some pics we would love to see!
North La Mirada
Winner: 15102 Fairacres Drive
Honorable Mention: 11921 Los Coyotes Avenue
Gardenhill
Winner: 14424 Plantana Drive
Honorable Mention: 14346 Alicante Road
Biola
Winner: 14833 Turlock Road
Honorable Mention: 14818 Calpella Street
Creek Park
Winner: 15650 Olivebranch Drive
Honorable Mention: 12710 Ocaso Avenue
Annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Family Resource Fair set for Foster Road Elementary
La Mirada~The annual Foster Road Elementary School Thanksgiving Dinner and Family Resource Fair will take place on Thursday, November 21st from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Open to all, the resource fair will include city and county community services and businesses designed to enhance the quality of family life. Insurance, real estate, finance and banking services will be on-hand for questions and opportunities. La Mirada middle schools will also present their programs.
This year, organizers are giving the turkeys a break as Chick-fil-A of La Mirada will provide the dinner: chicken of course!
During the meal, former La Mirada High School counselor and community advocate Oscar Diaz will be recognized for his tireless service and affection toward Foster Road Elementary School's students and families.
Event sponsors include: the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce; Los Angeles County; Banc of California; Chick-fil-A La Mirada; EDCO; Suburban Water; City of La Mirada; Living Faith/La Mirada; Kiwanis Club of La Mirada; La Mirada Rotary Club; La Mirada Ebell; Friends of the La Mirada Library and the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District.
Freedom Christian Center to Host Spine-Chilling Halloween Maze and Live Production October 25-27
Freedom Christian Center (FCC) announced that it will host its third annual Night of Terror event October 25-27th featuring a Halloween maze and live production and also will include photo booths and food trucks for all guests.
Night of Terror has achieved a best-kept secret reputation since its first year in 2017, when 3,500 people attended the five-night event. Last year, 5,000 people attended the three-night event. FCC anticipates a continued growth and is preparing to draw over 7,500 people this year.
“We’re expecting one thing this year,” said Pastor Jason Lozano, lead pastor of Freedom Christian Center. “For thousands of people to enjoy this production and get the hell scared out of them.”
Night of Terror will hold a 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. showing each night, beginning on Friday, October 25 and ending Sunday, October 27. The event will take place at Freedom Christian Center, 13808 Imperial Hwy at the Santa Fe Springs/La Mirada border.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here.
About Freedom Christian Center: Freedom Christian Center was established in 2002 by Pastor Jason Lozano and Pastor Liz Lozano in Whittier, California. Freedom has an average combined weekly attendance of 5,000 at their Santa Fe Springs and Uptown Whittier locations.
ANOTHER MAZE: The folks at Alondra Boulevard and Elmbrook Drive in La Mirada will once again be providing some Halloween fun this year. Check out their haunted maze preview night on Saturday, October 26th before the big night on the 31st.
Visit the Friends of the La Mirada Library Bookstore
Bookstores still exist and did you know there is one inside the La Mirada Library?
It is operated and staffed by the Friends of the La Mirada Library (FOL) volunteer members and is open to the public the same days as the La Mirada Library.
All items for sale in the bookstore are donated, nothing is purchased. The book store accepts donations of books, magazines, CD’s, DVD’s, audio books, comic books and more. Tax donation receipts are available upon request.
Contributions of books and media provide the materials sold at lobby sale tables and the semi-annual FOL Super Book Sales hosted in May and October. Funds raised go to support La Mirada Library programs and purchases.
Contact the library at (562) 943-0277 to learn about becoming a FOL member and/or to make a donation of items to the store. Donation baskets are also located inside the library.
The Friends of the La Mirada Library is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit association of community-minded individuals committed to focusing public attention on the library’s services, facilities and needs, and to encouraging gifts and donations in support of the library.
Board meetings are held every 4th Thursday every month from 6:30pm-7:30pm in the meeting room of the La Mirada Library. FOL members are encouraged to attend these monthly meetings so they can be informed what the FOL is doing for the library, what the library is doing for the community and also vote on future projects. Visitors are always welcome.
Relay for Life La Mirada/Whittier May 18th and 19th at Splash!
La Mirada~The Relay for Life La Mirada/Whittier will be held May 18 through May 19 at Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center. Relay for Life is a 24-hour community gathering designed to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and raise funds for cancer research, services and advocacy.
The day begins on May 18 at 9 a.m. with a “Survivors Lap” during which cancer survivors are honored, followed by a second lap where survivors are joined by their family and caregivers. We are adding something new this year by having our oncologists, radiologists, nurse navigators, and nursing staff that made surviving Cncer possible, join our survivors for the Caregiver Lap.
Fun activities will be held throughout the event including riding down the Splash! Buccaneer Bay waterslides on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and the cost is $5 per person, or free to 2019 Buccaneer Bay season pass holders.
At 9 p.m. luminaries are placed around the track for those being honored for surviving, those who are currently fighting cancer and those who are being memorialized.
The event closes on May 19 with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Kiwanis Club followed by a “Fight Back Ceremony” where the community and individuals pledge to work to eradicate cancer.
Civitas Coffee Now Open In La Mirada
Civitas Coffee started with an idea to become a community centerpiece. The goal was to provide high-quality artisan coffee, specialty teas, & gourmet baked goods to the city of La Mirada. As of February 16th, that has become a reality at the southeast corner of Rosecrans and Valley View.
Daniel & Katherine Kim started their journey to open their very own coffee store five years ago. Katherine has been in the coffee industry for over four years working for small and big coffee shop businesses in the Los Angeles area. She realized that she wanted to give back more to the community while pursuing her passion for coffee. Their goals aligned perfectly as Daniel was looking to grow his passion for coffee from his background in coffee distribution.
They both love the close-knit atmosphere of the La Mirada community. Noticing that there weren’t many options for quality coffee & tea in the area, they decided this was the place to open up their store. They decided on the name Civitas, which means ‘community’ in Latin, since it encompassed their vision to be an epicenter in a community. Their motto is to, “bring a community together, one cup at a time.”
Daniel & Katherine wanted Civitas Coffee to use and promote small local area vendors. Their roaster, Jetty Coffee Roasters out of Los Angeles, roasts small batches and takes immense pride in his craft. Their pastries and vegan donuts are also baked fresh from local vendors in Los Angeles region, including Sugarbloom Bakery and The Caffeinated Kitchen. At the end of the day, it’s not about what they offer, but about how they can connect with the community. They want to get to know each and every customer and also pass along their knowledge of fine coffee and teas.
After countless hours of research and planning, they are excited to move into the next stage in their journey as they finally open Civitas Coffee. So whether you’re nearby on your commute to work, meeting friends & colleagues, or just looking for a great cup of coffee, they have the perfect array of drinks & refreshments to fit your needs.
Civitas Coffee is located at 14218 Rosecrans Avenue in La Mirada. Hours are Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. -7:00 p.m. and Saturdays 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Give them a call at (562) 351-1165. Store available for special events on Sundays.
Dunkel Bros. Continues Christmas Tradition at New Location
Some of what you need to know about the Dunkel Bros. 2018 Christmas Display
La Mirada~Dunkel Bros. Orange County Machinery Moving has been in business since 1975 and has been based in La Mirada for the last 16 years.
The company relocated last year from their South Firestone Boulevard location along the freeway, to their new beautiful location located at the northeast corner of Alondra Boulevard and Phoebe Avenue, just east of Valley View Avenue. The change was necessitated by the construction involved with the current Interstate 5 Widening Project.
Although moving heavy machinery may be what the company is known for, over the years they have also created elaborate and unique Christmas light displays at its headquarters during the holidays for the public to enjoy.
This year is no exception; perhaps the best ever.
The display at the beautiful new Dunkel location features over two million lights all wired together and synced with holiday music, which can also be heard on 88.7 FM from your car.
The planter boxes within the display were designed and built by Dunkel Bros. exclusively for this display with each box containing 10,000 lights!
Peter Dunkel and Larry Dunkel are the owners of Dunkel Bros/La Mirada. Peter told us his Christmas spirit was instilled by his wonderful parents, Otto & Herbie who were married for 65 years. He told us every Christmas season they would load up their family of 12 kids and venture out to see the different holiday lights and displays.
The design of the new La Mirada headquarters for Dunkel Bros. includes wide, meandering sidewalks ensuring the safety of the community while offering a close up look at the detail of the free exhibit. A stage has also been built for Christmas-themed shows and carolers.
SCHEDULE: Santa will appear nightly 6-9- p.m. Saturday December 1st through December 23rd. The jolly old elf will be handing out gifts for the kids.
Santa’s reindeer arrive nightly 5-10 p.m. for eight days beginning Saturday December 15th.
Look for our live broadcast on Facebook Sunday December 4th at approximately 5:00 p.m.
OTHER XMAS DISPLAYS: The “Christmas Vacation” display at 15912 Golva is back this year bigger and better than ever. The display is set to be ready Saturday December 1st.
A really cool display is located at 14774 Hardaway Drive, go by and check it out.
See a really cool Christmas display in La Mirada? Send us an email or DM us on social media.
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