News
Two Killed in Collision on First Avenue
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| Fire department personnel cut the victims out of both vehicles but both died at the scene. Photo courtesy Bayli Zaharis |
Whittier~Two people died in a head-on collision early New Years Day at First Avenue and Candlelight Drive just outside of the La Mirada city limits.
The accident occurred about 1:30 a.m. in the unincorporated area of Whittier.
An unidentified woman in her forties and and a man in his twenties died at the scene.
The cause of the violent crash is still unknown as officials investigate.
Christmas Crime Hits La Mirada
Two separate incidents including one involving the World Cup House
La Mirada~Sometime this past Saturday night or early Sunday morning a Christmas display was vandalized at the World Cup House on Alondra Boulevard in La Mirada.
La Mirada Blog fan Stacey Brooks told us via Facebook. “Last night someone came by and trashed one of our Christmas displays. It was a ramp that my husband Josh spent a lot of time making. On Christmas Eve we buy ice and pack it on there so the neighborhood kids can go sledding. The children love it. It brings a sense of community that is hard to find in this day and age. This is a photo of an officer helping us flip it over. We are going to see if we can fix it, but the damage is done. Our family, including our two very young sons, is heartbroken.”
Since then, with the help of neighbors the display has been fixed.
The home was the source of a bit of controversy this past summer when the city ordered Josh to take down his World Cup display which included large flags representing each country.
This caused an outrage on this websites Facebook page and the city allowed the Brooks to reconstruct their display.
MORE CRIME: On Monday night, a thief broke into a car in the vicinity of Biola/Mansa/Bora and stole over $200 worth of Christmas gifts.
Blog fan Melaina Edgemon said “sometime between 10:00 p.m. Monday and 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, someone broke into my car and stole all the holiday gifts I had purchased for my family,” that included toys, slippers, slippers and movies.
17:08 12/24/14 STILL MORE CRIME: On Wednesday afternoon, Christmas Eve Day, Blog fan Laura Barba said her youngest son's bike was stolen outside CVS on Rosecrans, "They cut the lock and stole the bike within the five minutes-the time he was in the store. It's a neon green fixie with white tires and black rims. If anyone sees it please message us with info."
Fire Destroys Carriage Kitchen
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| Area firefighters knocked out the blaze at La Mirada's most famous and last, coffee shop within two hours. Photo courtesy Randy Duarte. |
La Mirada~A fire broke out in the early morning hours at The Carriage Coffee Shop at 14871 Imperial Highway.
Nobody was hurt and the building was unoccupied when the fire started in the kitchen of the 49-year-old eatery about 3:30 a.m.
The first reader on our La Mirada Blog Facebook page reported the incident live at 4:15 a.m.
Later in the morning, owner Louis Liu told the La Mirada Blog he doesn’t know how the fire started as he allowed us inside to snap a few photos.
The kitchen appears to be destroyed. Cost estimates are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair.
Officials continue to investigate the incident.
Residents who consider the diner a cultural icon stormed city hall this past March to protest a decision by the owners of the property, Rich Development Co., to
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| The kitchen of the fabled eatery seems destroyed. Photo (c)La Mirada Blog 2014 |
replace the diner with a McDonald’s.
Because of the traffic concerns expressed by residents at that meeting in the form of a petition, the La Mirada Planning Commission suggested a traffic study be executed to address these potential issues.
The final draft of the study has been completed since August and has been sent to the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Traffic Division for final approval.
That final approval has still not come however and the decision on the fate of The Carriage has been delayed–not appearing on either the October or November commission agendas.
The next meeting is scheduled for December 18th.
Area Residents Invited to Participate in Free Tire Recycling Event
La Mirada~The cities of Cerritos, Downey, La Mirada, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, and Santa Fe Springs are hosting a FREE used tire collection event this Saturday November 8th from 9am-1pm at La Mirada Community Gym Parking Lot.
All residents of these cities are welcome with proof of residency required.
You can help ensure that all used tires are collected safely and recycled. Residents can transport up to 9 tires maximum per trip and multiple trips are okay. Please bring passenger and light truck tires only. NO semi-truck, construction equipment or agricultural tractor tires are accepted.
Tires from businesses and non-profits will not be accepted. ALL tires must be removed from the rims.
Help keep our cities clean and green. For more information about this event please call 562-902-2385 or 562-944-4766.
The La Mirada Community Gym is located at 15105 Alicante Road in La Mirada.
OBITUARY: Giant La Mirada Community Member and Original La Mirada Business Owner
OBITUARY: GERALD PEEBLER
La Mirada lost a giant in the community last Monday as Gerald Peebler, owner of Olive Lawn Memorial Park passed away this past Monday at the age of 96.
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| Gerald Peebler at the La Mirada Blog Fest August 21, 2012 where he was honored as a "La Mirada Legend." |
He was a member of La Mirada Kiwanis, a former president of the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce and long-time community servant.
He was the lore of La Mirada in every sense of the word.
He was born September 20, 1918 in Canada and first arrived in La Mirada in 1928 when his dad Byron Peebler and a partner eventually took over an abandoned cemetery at Luitwieler (LM Blvd) and Alicante (at that time an extension of Rosecrans). The cemetery original opened in 1924.
His first memory of La Mirada was as a a fourteen year-old kid in 1932, saying in 2012, “There were solid olive tree groves across the street (today’s Biola University), scary groves, dark groves.”
The cemetery formerly known as Graceland, was renamed Olive Lawn-named after those many trees nearby from the McNally Ranch.
While they were helping run Olive Lawn part-time, the Peebler kids including Gerald, helped their parents Byron and Ethel, run the Coachella Valley’s first successful laundry business in Indio from 1927-47.
In 1947, Byron Peebler and Ethel moved to La Mirada full-time to run Olive Lawn as they took over full ownership of the cemetery.
In 1946, Gerald and his wife Harriet opened and operated the “first drive-through cleaners in the country” in Santa Ana until 1972.
Gerald and Harriet were married in in 1941 after meeting in 1939 when Harriet was a sophomore at a high school in Indio.
Gerald and Harriet took over full operation of Olive Lawn Memorial Park in 1977 until recently as their son Scott has now taken over operation and ownership.
In 2011 to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary, Gerald, 93, and Harriet, 90, traveled across the country alone in their automobile to visit relatives in Connecticut and places in-between with Gerald driving all 9,000+ miles himself over the 50-day trip.
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| Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Peebler at their home at Olive Lawn being interviewed for the the La Mirada history book, "Reflections from McNally's Mirror" -June 21, 2012. |
Mr. Gerald Peebler is survived by his wife of 73 years, Harriet; Sister Betty Mitchell, Mountain View, AK; Son Scott, La Mirada; Daughter Jan Delmonte, CT; Granddaughter Heather & her husband Andy Bevilacqua, Millford, CT; Granddaughter Kayse & her husband Jon Pratt, Elkgrove, CA; Grandson Seth, La Mirada; Great Grandchildren, Emily, Nathaniel, Jennifer, Jeff, Jillian, and Joseph.
GERALD PEEBLER MEMORIAL SERVICES:
Tuesday Nov. 4, 2014
Chapel of Memories, 12626 Woods Avenue, Norwalk.
1:00-2:00 p.m. Viewing
2:30-3:30 p.m. Memorial Service
4:00-6:00 p.m. Reception-La Mirada Activity Center
OBITUARY: Former Manager of Chamber of Commerce and Active Community Member
OBITUARY: EVELYN LEONARD
She was office manager for the Greater La Mirada Chamber of Commerce when it was considered one of the most prestigious in all of Southern California
Evelyn R. Leonard was born on August 4, 1925, in Wilmington, California, to George and Ruth (Smith) Hendrickson. She passed away last month on October 10, 2014 in Whittier, California at the age of 89. She was a second generation "native" and was raised in Inglewood, California.
Evelyn graduated from Inglewood High School and Los Angeles City College, with a major in International Relations.
She met and married, Robert “Bob” Leonard, who also is another second generation “native.”
She is also survived by her two sons, Paul and Matthew, who were born before the 1960 move to the present home in La Mirada.
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| The history of La Mirada caught Leonard's eye as seen in this 1965 drawing. |
Evelyn was involved in the activities of their new community, La Mirada, an involvement that has been shared by the couple during their 54 year residence in La Mirada.
She was the first director of the La Mirada Youth Employment Service in 1968, and two years later, the office manager of La Mirada Chamber of Commerce.
Evelyn and Bob are also Life Members of the Friends of the La Mirada Library. She was very active with the library and actually spent nights at the library watching the books that were on sale at the annual book sales back when the events were held outside the building.
Mrs. Leonard was also very active in helping with the preservation of La Mirada’s history.
She left the Chamber in 1984 to become a "full time" volunteer, enjoy her family, travel and take care of a home that was always open to international guests.
What’s Happened to Our Beloved Drive-In/La Mirada Woman Stabbed to Death in Dispute Over Parking
Santa Fe Springs~The former La Mirada Drive-In, once a community treasure filled with countless memories for La Mirada residents, now bears the Santa Fe Springs name and is for the most part a swap meet-and has been since the early 70's.
The complex was built in a orange grove adjacent to the brand-new, budding Interstate 5 freeway in the early 1950's and was originally called the La Mirada Drive-In because it was the closest named-area or town.
Movies are no longer shown and many would argue the swap-meet, once a teenagers dream for that first job, has become somewhat unstable since it instilled its Friday night version of the flea market.
The latest incident occurred this past Friday.
Elizabeth Yanez, 43, was stabbed in front of her adult children in a dispute over a parking space at the historic venue as reported by Brian Day of the Whittier Daily News here.
We normally don't refer our readers to other media outlets or the competition but we believe in some instances it is appropriate for the community to be informed.
Grade Separation Project Completed
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| Representatives from the Cities of La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs, Caltrans, LA Metro, and California State Assembly at the Valley View Avenue Grade Separation ribbon cutting ceremony. |
Santa Fe Springs~Stage Road is now open for traffic as the the Valley View Grade Separation Project is now complete after a little over two years of work.
Partners in the project, the City of La Mirada, the City of Santa Fe Springs, BNSF Railway and Caltrans participated in a brief ceremony at the site this morning along with Santa Fe springs Mayor Jaunita Trujillo and La Mirada Mayor Larry Mowles.
Construction on the $65 million endeavor began in the summer of 2010.
THE CARRIAGE: Decision Could Come in November for Fate of Cultural Diner
La Mirada~The La Mirada Planning Commission may be deciding the fate of the Carriage Coffee Shop at its regular meeting next month.
City Planner Gabriel Bautista told the La Mirada Blog the process is taking longer than he prefers, but hopes it will be on the agenda for the November 21st meeting.
Residents who consider the diner a cultural icon stormed city hall this past March to protest a decision by the owners of the property, Rich Development, to replace the 49-year-old diner with a McDonald’s.
Because of the traffic concerns expressed by residents at that meeting, the commission suggested a traffic study be executed to address these potential issues.
The final draft of the study has been completed and has been sent to the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Traffic Division for final approval, Bautista told us.
The commission will then decide whether or not to grant McDonald’s a conditional use permit to construct a drive-thru at the new restaurant; paving the way for the apparent demolition of The Carriage.
Lewis Supporters Gather for Meet-and-Greet Fundraiser
SOCIAL SCENE
La Mirada~Friends and family gathered at the home of Hal and Barbara Malkin this past Thursday in support of La Mirada resident Zurich Lewis who is running for a seat
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| Hal Malkin and Zurich Lewis |
as Governing Board Member/Trustee for the Cerritos College Community District-Area Seven.
A beautiful array of food and refreshments was offered by the host Mrs. Malkin as guests mingled and discussed current news and events.
Lewis, a lifetime La Mirada resident is a Biola University student and sits as a Community Services Commissioner for the city.
Area seven for the district includes portions of the cities of La Mirada, Cerritos, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, and North Whittier.
For more photos visit the La Mirada Blog Back Page here.
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