News
NLMUSD Board President Hengler Voted Out of Office
Norwalk~The evening started with seven candidates, including four incumbents, hoping to capture one of four opens seats on the Norwalk-La Mirada School District Board of Education- when it ended the president was voted out of office.
In what some would call an upset, board president Ed Hengler, 80, a retired educator and on the panel since 1997, was ousted Tuesday night by challenger Sean Reagan, 38, a teacher at Cal High in the Whittier High School Union District. Hengler finished in sixth place.
Incumbent Margarita Rios, 43, a police sergeant for the Los Angeles School District led all candidates with 2,128 votes and incumbent Darryl Adams, 52, a teacher, finished second with 1,965 votes.
Reagan was third with 1,758 votes and incumbent Ana Valencia, 46, a teacher, received 1,637 votes, rounding out the field of winners.
Challenger Salvador Limon, 26, a special education teacher received 1,460 votes finishing fifth, 177 votes shy of Valencia. Mark White, 53, a field technical engineer, placed seventh with 959 votes.
At one point during the night, it appeared another incumbent might be in trouble when Limon pulled within less than 100 votes of Valencia, but she was able to hold him at bay.
Leading up to the election, Hengler criticized Reagan for running for a spot when his own child doesn't even attend school in the district. Reagan lives in Norwalk and has stated child care convenience as the reason his child attends school in Cerritos and not in the NLMUSD.
Voter turnout was poor. The district area has a registered voter base of over 60,000 and there are 19,000+ students enrolled in the NLMUSD, yet it appears well under 10 percent of people turned out to vote.
Table courtesy County of Los Angeles Registrar Recorder
UPDATED: Brush Fire Spreads to Home on Fairhope Drive
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| Smoke rises from a home in La Mirada Wednesday afternoon. Photo courtesy @maand3 |
La Mirada~Los Angeles County firefighters earlier battled a structure fire originally reported at the 8300 block of Los Coyote Drive in Buena Park near Los Coyotes Country Club.
Inspector Mora of the LA County Fire Department told the La Mirada Blog the incident originally started as a brush fire and was reported at 12:13 p.m. today.
The fire spread to the backyard of a home on Fairhope Drive in the unincorporated area of Orange County west of Beach Boulevard and firefighters were quickly on scene with sufficient personnel, said Mora.
It appears just the one home has been affected with fire seen coming through the attic at one time.
No injuries have been reported and the cause is currently under investigation.
Latest La Mirada Bi-Weekly Crime Report; At Least Four Assaults Reported
Aggravated Assault-A domestic assault was reported on the 15300 block of Loretta Dr. The suspect, who was the victim's significant other, attacked the victim while asleep. The incident is under investigation. A shooting occurred on the 12900 block of Duffield Ave. The victim was standing with friends in front of a house when a trio of suspects pulled up in a vehicle. After a short exchange of words, one of the suspects brandished a handgun and began shooting, then fled the scene. The victim was transported to the hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to the foot. The incident remains under investigation. An assault was reported on the 13200 block of Parise Dr. The suspect, who is related to the victim, was arrested by responding deputies for choking the victim. A stabbing was reported on the 14900 block of Gagely Dr. The victim was stabbed after confronting the suspect in the street regarding suspicious behavior. The incident remains under investigation.
Residential Burglary-A burglary was reported on the 15500 block of Loretta Dr. Jewelry and electronics were stolen from the residence. An incident occurred on the 12800 block of Colima Rd. It is unknown if any property was stolen. A burglary was reported on the 13300 block of Clearwater Dr. Various items and jewelry was taken from the home. Cash was reported stolen in a burglary reported on the 14300 block of Manecita Dr. A burglary was also reported on the 15400 block of Illora Dr.
Other Structure Burglary-A motorcycle was reported stolen from a garage on the 14000 block of Whiterock Dr.
Fire Guts Strip Mall Just North of City Limits
South Whittier~A fire broke out at an aging strip mall early this morning in South Whittier across the street from the La Mirada city limits.
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| A vacant pet store is one of many businesses fully engulfed in this exclusive photo sent in by La Mirada Blog fan @MsDaizzzy. |
No one was injured in the three-alarm blaze that started shortly after 3:00 a.m. at the northeast corner of Leffingwell Road and La Mirada Boulevard in unincorporated Los Angeles County.
No one was injured although a firefighter reportedly received minor burns.
Authorities believe the fire started in a laundromat on the property. A liquor store and a pet store were also among the five businesses damaged. Neighbors on the scene told the La Mirada Blog the former reptile and fish store was vacant.
Los Angeles County firefighters knocked down the blaze by 5:30 and a few hours later trash bins and bulldozers were already on scene.
The fire was first reported on our La Mirada Blog Twitter feed by @andygmz416 at 3:30 a.m.
The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time and is currently under investigation.
See additional exclusive photos of the aftermath cleanup on our Flickr feed here.
Superior Grocers Opening La Mirada Location
La Mirada~Superior Grocers will be hosting a grand opening for their latest store to open this Saturday, September 28th at 7:00 a.m. in La Mirada, at 12710 Valley View Avenue at Imperial Highway.
The independently owned Santa Fe Springs based chain opened its first store in Covina in 1981 and today is the largest independently-owned chain of grocery stores in Southern California, operating over 40 stores in Southern California, with most in Los Angeles County.
The new store is expected to offer an extensive produce selection, full-service bakery, full-service meat and in-store restaurant.
The company’s website indicates they are committed to being active partners in the communities they serve.
Get a sneak peek of the Saturday grand opening specials here.
The building was the former Vons La Mirada that opened in 1968 and closed March 27th, 2010. It was then replaced by Bestway Supermarkets until July of this year.
Seven File for Four Spots on Norwalk-La Mirada School Board
Norwalk-Three candidates will challenge incumbents for four available seats on the Norwalk-La Mirada Board of Education in the local and municipal elections on November 5th.
Incumbents Ana Valencia, Ed Hengler, Margarita Rios and Darryl Adams have all filed necessary papers for re-election.
The three challengers include Sean Reagan, Salvador Limon and Mark White.
Four of the seven have listed teacher as their main occupation. Hengler is a retired teacher and White lists Field Technical Engineer and Rios, a parent, as their occupations.
Bi-Weekly La Mirada Crime Report; Badlona Hit Twice in One Week
Residential Burglary-Two residential burglaries were reported on the 15100 block of Badlona Dr. Cash and jewelry was stolen from one of the residences.
Other Structure Burglary- A burglary to a storage container was reported on the 15200 block of Rosecrans Ave. Various tools were stolen in the incident. A motorcycle and various other items were reported stolen from a garage on the 16100 block of Rosecrans Ave.
Vehicle Burglary-An incident was reported on the 14500 block of Dunnet Ave. Two seats and a DVD system were stolen from the vehicle. Two separate burglaries were reported on the 14200 block of Firestone Blvd. Various items were stolen from the vehicles. A window smash burglary was reported on the 15800 block of Imperial Hwy. Paperwork was stolen from the vehicle.
Norwalk-La Mirada Graduation Rates Continue to Climb
Norwalk~The graduation rate at Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District high schools has seen a steady increase over the last four years, topping off at 92 percent for the 2012-13 academic year.
This year, NLMUSD had 1,523 seniors graduate from its five high schools – John Glenn, La Mirada, Norwalk, El Camino and Southeast Academy. This compares with the 2009-10 academic year when NLMUSD graduated 87.2 percent of its seniors; 90 percent in 2010-11; and 92.2 percent in 2011-12.
Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez attributes the ongoing success of the District to new intervention programs, positive policy changes and better tracking of the District’s students.
“We’re at 92 and we intend to see continued progress,” Perez said. Our students are working hard to receive their diplomas and our teacher and staff is utilizing proven instructional programs and interventions to provide whatever academic support each individual student needs to achieve that goal.”
In the last five years, the District has implemented several programs to steer students toward success. Such programs include one-on-on and in-classroom intervention programs for students who struggle throughout middle school, a District leadership group that looks at achievement gaps and finds ways to close them, and peer-mentoring groups.
Bi-Weekly La Mirada Crime Report; Residential Burglaries on Fada, Adoree, and Crestline
The following is the crime report for La Mirada for August 5-18, 2013
Aggravated Assault-An assault was reported on the 12700 block of Valley View Ave. An unknown suspect threw a knife at the victim but missed him. An assault occurred on the 15300 block of Loretta Dr. A suspect was taken into custody at the location after threatening to harm the victim.
Residential Burglary-A residential burglary was reported on the 15600 Fada Dr. Tools and other items were stolen from the garage at the location. A purse and vehicle were reported stolen on the 16000 block of Crestline Dr. The vehicle was recovered the same day and a suspect taken into custody. A burglary to a vacant home was reported on the 15100 block of Leffingwell Rd. Cash and a laptop computer were reported stolen from a residence on the 14100 block of Adoree St.
Other Structure Burglary-A burglary to Benton Middle School was reported Aug. 17. Two adults and two juveniles were arrested in connection with the burglary. A burglary to a commercial mailbox was reported in an office complex on the 14700 block of Beach Blvd.
Vehicle Burglary-A window smash burglary was reported on the 14300 block of Firestone Blvd. A cell phone was stolen from the vehicle. A vehicle burglary occurred on the 11600 block of Goldendale Dr. A wallet was stolen from the vehicle. A window smash burglary was reported on the 12000 block of Santa Gertrudes Ave. A purse was stolen from the vehicle. A purse containing various items was reported stolen in a window smash burglary on the 13500 block of Beach Blvd.
Two Adults, Two Juvenilles Burglarize Benton School
La Mirada~Last Saturday at approximately 3 p.m., deputies responded to a call involving a burglary that apparently was in progress at Benton Middle School.
During the ensuing investigation, several witnesses from a nearby residential area described seeing four young male Hispanics, two of which appeared to be juveniles, rushing away from the campus with furniture in hand. Three of the suspects proceeded to a sedan parked nearby to load their haul and sped off. The fourth suspect was observed by witnesses walking toward La Mirada Blvd.
After a short time had passed during the investigation, the suspect on foot was detained by assisting Deputies on La Mirada Blvd. and confessed to having been involved in the burglary.
The remaining three suspects were all eventually apprehended. Two adults and two juveniles were charged with misdemeanor burglary. The two juveniles were released to their guardians shortly after being cited.
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