First Parent Meeting With New Administration at La Mirada High
La Mirada~A parent meeting will take place Wednesday, August 11th, at La Mirada High School from 5:00-7:00 pm.
This will be the first opportunity for parents to meet the new principal, Bill Seals, and his staff, who will share their professional backgrounds and goals for the upcoming school year at La Mirada.
Signs on campus will direct you to the location of the meeting, not yet determined. More than likely it will be held in the MPR room or gymnasium.
After the initial introduction, the staff will split up into smaller groups so parents can introduce themselves to the new administration.
Scout Gives His Final Thoughts of Jamboree
La Mirada~After returning from the 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree celebrating 100 years in the United States on August 4, I spent the next few days relaxing and looking back before I headed off to another week long camp. I can honestly say that the Jamboree was the best experience of my life so far. Exploring our nation’s capital was an extra added bonus. We were constantly moving and doing things at the time I don’t think I fully realized what was going on until now.
Everyday was a new adventure just waiting to be lived. I loved waking up to a new day, smelling the fresh air and making decisions on what I was going to do that day. The choices were endless with no shortage of things to do. Jamboree was one big playground of challenges for us. There were obstacle courses, archery, BMX bike racing, skeet shooting, fishing, swimming, rappelling, canoeing, over 100 merit badge booths and many more wondrous activities and exhibits that kept me and my fellow scouts busy. With the 45,000 scouts that were at the Jamboree, it was easy striking up a conversation with someone. Along with meeting scouts from across the country, I also ran into scouts from Japan, Puerto Rico, Russia and Africa. All of us coming together to celebrate scouting. 
Food itself was an adventure. For breakfast and dinner, we ate a wide variety of foods like pancakes, french toast, chicken jambalaya, chicken stir fry, beef stew, and many other varieties of food. Each of our troop’s four patrols cooked and did cleanup together. If it was something we didn’t like to eat, we could walk to the concession tents and get hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza or chicken strips. For lunch we had tickets to get box lunches out of trucks that were setup around the camp.
The Jamboree ran like a well oiled machine. Volunteers were always eager to help scouts reach their full potential. Not only were they willing to help, they even paid to work at the Jamboree and live in the same conditions as us. It would not have been the success that it was without their efforts. Along with the volunteers, the soldiers of Fort A.P. Hill also helped with security, traffic, supplies and merit badge booths.
The closing arena show was spectacular with guest stars like the bands Honor Society and Switchfoot. Even Mike Rowe, Eagle Scout and host of Discovery Channel's “Dirty Jobs” dropped by on a bulldozer to talk to us. I really enjoyed his message about how scouting changed his life and his take on the scout laws especially the one referring to how a scout is clean. “A scout is clean...but not afraid to get dirty.”
La Mirada Salaries Are Middle-of-the-Road
La Mirada~La Mirada pays its city officials significantly less than that of Bell, which has recently been under fire for its exorbitant salaries of local officials.
According to City Manager Tom Robinson, his annual salary is $187,380, which he said has not changed in three years. Robinson's salary is vastly different from the disgraced Bell city manager Robert Rizzo's $787,637 annual pay.
In addition, the Mayor and four City Council members each earned $12,114.36 a year, with an addition $8,138 in benefits. City Clerk Anne Haraksin's annual salary stands at $106,988.
Robinson said that the situation in Bell is the opposite of La Mirada's fiscally conservative tradition of governance.
"There is no justification for the types of salaries that have come to light recently in Bell," he said. "They are not at all in keeping with the City of La Mirada's long standing tradition of being fiscally conservative."
He stressed that La Mirada wants to fairly compensate its employees "at the mid-range of what other similar positions are paid in the competitive marketplace."
"La Mirada does not want to be the highest paying employer, nor does it want to be the lowest," Robinson added. "The City of La Mirada wants to hire and retain good employees at reasonable pay levels to deliver quality services."
While Robinson's salary remains unchanged, La Mirada has made cuts in its annual budget and its personnel, resulting in a reduction of its full-time workforce to 82 employees, and freezing cost of living adjustments for a second year in a row.
Patch Trading is Scout’s Favorite
With the many activities available for scouts at the Jamboree, it is without a doubt that patch trading is everyone's favorite. The roadsides especially after dinner become filled with scouts displaying patches on their cots or towels. It is a sight to behold as patch flea markets spring up everywhere. Patch trading is one of the best ways to meet new people, make friends, and have a good time.
A council patch (CP) is worn on the left sleeve of a Boy Scout uniform. It is the most common patch available for trade. It has the council name, location and a unique logo. Jamboree CPs are specially designed and made available to the troop members. In addition to the ones worn, extras are purchased in case a scout wants to participate in trading. Because this is Scouting's 100th anniversary, this makes them even more rare and valuable.
If a council patch catches a trader's eye, the scouts first make introductions giving names, troop numbers and hometowns. A person from California could trade with a 
person from New York and swap patches. This may get them talking and soon they may become friends. Once a fair deal is made, the agreement is completed with a scout handshake.
The BSA has rules for trading. A scout can only trade with another scout and adults trade only with adults. No money can be passed and each trade must be fair and end with a handshake.
Oxman’s Debuts Military Museum
Santa Fe Springs~Oxman's Surplus reopened its doors to the public in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday with a new museum of military memorabilia and a new mess tent café.
Long-time customers, new customers and officials from the La Mirada City Council and the Chamber of Commerce attended the ceremony that included many speakers and military history enthusiasts in World War II-era uniforms.
"Oxman's Surplus is a passion that came from a man who served in World War II," said Jason Oxman, the son of store owner Jerome "Mr. O" Oxman, before the ribbon-cutting ceremony began.
The store, located near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue and Valley View Street in Santa Fe Springs, has been a fixture for La Mirada and nearby residents looking for surplus military equipment and other accessories since it opened its doors in 1961.
For the first time, the front of Oxman's Surplus will serve as its entrance, where customers will enter Mr. O's collection of military history, ranging from the Medieval period to Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, a restaurant serving mess hall items like hot dogs and meals, ready-to-eat (MREs) is located in the renovated wing of the store.
La Mirada Blog’s Preseason 2010-11 All-Suburban League Football Team
Well fans, it looks like we are in for an intriguing football season as this may be one of the better years that the Suburban League has seen in a long time; with talent all over the place at every school. Here is my Preseason All League Team, featuring kids from every team. I hope you enjoy it.
Soon, I will have my preseason overview of each team, including things that I have heard, and things out there, that are just not true.
Preseason ALL SUBURBAN LEAGUE OFFENSE:
QB- Evan Hunko Sr. Mayfair: Looks to close out his four-year campaign as the starting QB with a league title, gaining momentum on the recruiting front after a solid summer.
RB-Aaron Francis Sr. Cerritos: He is looking to take his versatility to an Ivy League school next year, just hasn’t decided which one.
RB-Billy Moore Sr. Norwalk: Looks to build on a successful junior campaign that saw him be one third of a three-headed monster at RB in Norwalk’s vaunted double-wing.
FB- Elijhaa Penny Sr. Norwalk: Mr. U-Dub! He has verbally committed to the University of Washington and will be a key cog in Norwalk’s Offense. He would like nothing more than to be a league champion!
WR-Dejon Bernard Sr. John Glenn: This do-everything athlete for the Eagles scored a TD last season seven different ways. Right now, he is working his tail off to get that scholarship he deserves. He will be the leader of a young Glenn team.
Scouts Pack it in For Celebration
Fort A.P. Hill, VA~Boy Scouts at the National Jamboree filed into the natural arena for the opening show celebrating the 100th anniversary of Scouting in America on July 28, 2010. The scouts sat on a grassy knoll over looking a grandstand with two side mounted massive big screens and holographic pillars. Television personalities Burton Roberts of the Survivor series and Alex Boylan from the Amazing Race kicked off the show by entertaining scouts with various quizzes and games.
Hosting duties for the show were taken over by Anthony Thomas, the recognized two millionth Eagle Scout. He introduced former Eagle Scout and current Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Secretary Gates talked to the scouts about the importance of scouting, what it means to him and how it affected his life.
Chief Scout Executive Robert Mazzuca was called to the stage and also talked about what scouting did for him and how it helped shape his life. He was followed by World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Sergeant Slaughter who fired up the audience.
Twelve Days of Madness
La Mirada~On Saturday, August 7th, Phantom Projects of La Mirada presents a performance to feature 10 of Southern California’s Most Talented Young Performers in an Evening of Original Theatre, Dance, Music, Film, and more.
After nearly 100 applications and interviews, 10 young performers have been selected for The 2010 Young Artist Project at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. The annual event brings together seasoned young artists between the ages of 16 and 23 to merge their unique talents-whether writing, directing, acting, singing, dancing, etc.-in a collaborative effort, developing one-acts, musical numbers, film, and other performance pieces.
The twist? The group has just 12 days to completely create, rehearse, and build the production.
For tickets call (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310 or visit www.phantom projects.com
Starring Suzie Cheng, Shannon Lee Clair, Lyn Cowan, Emily Hwang, Alley N. Iovino, Chris Kato, Shelby Nicole Kern, Cassandra Michaels, Jake Parker, and Lexington Vanderberg.
Troop Arrives at Jamboree
La Mirada~On the morning of July 24, we woke up happy from sleeping in nice soft beds. After breakfast, we shipped out for Arlington. It was a solemn place with perfect rows of white headstones which reminded me how freedom isn't free and that it comes at a heavy price. While we were there, we visited the graves of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy.
We watched the very stylized changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. I have to give these guards some recognition because it 
was 100 degrees at the time. Us Scouts were sweating like crazy while the guard, who were wearing wool uniforms, barely had a line of sweat as they performed their solemn duty.
After Arlington, we moved to one of the most iconic buildings in our country: The Capital. We were visiting the place where our country’s laws are made. As we climbed the steps, I thought about the School House Rock song: “I’m a bill, yes I am only a bill and I am sitting here on Capital Hill.”
Mr. Gardea was able to arrange a tour of the inside of the Capital through Congresswoman Grace Napolitano. Thank you to both.
We had lunch at a huge mall built around the Union Station. From there we moved on to the Smithsonian museums. It quickly became one of my favorite spots. We were only able to get into the Air and Space and the Natural History museums. The Air and Space of course was filled with all kinds of rockets, missiles, airplanes, and space stuff. I especially enjoyed the exhibits on gravity and the early history of the airplanes.
We could have spent the whole day there but we only had about an hour before we had to exit the Air and Space Museum and hike over to the Natural History Museum. We saw all kinds of animals and cool looking plants. It was very similar to the museum in Los Angeles but on a much grander scale. None of the exhibits came alive like the movie but they did have a great gift shop. I bought some gifts for my brother and sister.
After dinner at the Fashion Center, we went to visit Mr. Lincoln. From his chair, he had a clear view of the famous reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. His famous Gettysburg address was etched off to the side. We walked a short distance to the Korean War Memorial which I thought was one of the cooler memorials because it displayed life-like soldier statues moving in formation. Next we paid our respects to the Vietnam memorial. I was amazed when I saw the monument because it seemed to rise out of the ground. So many names were on the wall...
Administration Replaced at La Mirada High School
Norwalk~The Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District board voted to hire a new administration for La Mirada High School Monday.
Michelle Millan, a secretary for Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez, said the school board approved the hiring of William Seals, an assistant principal at John Glenn High School in Norwalk, as principal and out-of-district candidates Kelly Henderson and Rachel Heenan as assistant principals.
While La Mirada High will not have a third assistant principal, Michael Green, another outside hire, will become the dean of students.
Perez was not available to comment on why the school district replaced the previous administration.
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