La Mirada Weekly Crime Summary
CRIME REPORT
April 30-May 6
Residential Burglary-Two residential burglaries were reported last week. A burglary was reported on the 14800 block of Valeda Dr. Jewelry and miscellaneous documents were taken. An incident was reported on the 12800 block of Gabbett Dr. A side porch door was pried open. Jewelry, flatware, and a television were stolen from the home.
Other Structure Burglary-A burglary to a business was reported on the 14500 block of Alondra Blvd. Cash was stolen from the location. A burglary to a storage shed was reported on the 14100 block of Angell St.
Vehicle Burglary Five vehicle burglaries were reported last week. An incident was reported on the 12000 block of Santa Gertrudes Ave. A driver's side window was shattered. No loss from the vehicle was reported. A window smash burglary was reported on the 13300 block of Beach Blvd. Cell phones and cash were taken. A burglary was reported on the 16100 block of Rosecrans Ave. A tote bag containing paperwork was stolen.Two vehicle burglaries were reported on the 13000 block of Santa Gertrudes Ave.
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Baritone Highlights Last Free Concert of the Season for La Mirada Symphony
La Mirada~On Saturday, May 12, 2012 the La Mirada Symphony will present the last concert for the Season - the annual POPS - at the La Mirada Theatre of the Performing Arts at a 3:00 p.m. matinee and a 8:00 p.m. evening concert.
The program," Music of the Spheres", will include compositions by Richard and Josef Strauss, Gustav Holst, John Williams, Bart Howard and Jimmy Van Huesen and Sammy Cahn from concert halls and screen to lift one 'out of this world'. Especially familiar to both young and adult will be Star Trek Through the Years and Suite from Star Wars. Highlighting the evening will be Baritone Ryan Reithmeier who will delight the audience with Fly Me to the Moon and Come Fly With Me from the Swing Era.
Ryan is returning for a third guest appearance with the La MIrada Symphony. He is a versatile singer-actor who performs in a variety of styles and genres from Opera to POPS. He earned a Master of Music Degree at Cal State University Fullerton and is currently an adjunct professor of voice at Vanguard University of Southern, California.
La Mirada Drama Tackles Bullying, Prejudice, Violence
NEW PRODUCTION TACKLES SCHOOL BULLYING, PREJUDICE AND RACISM, THROUGH INTERACTIVE PEER-THEATRE AND PANEL DISCUSSION
La Mirada~This Thursday May 10, Phantom Projects Theatre Group will continue its crusade of offering perspective and support through original theatre productions when it brings back The Center of the Universe to the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts at 10:00 a.m. as a field trip performance for local schools, and at 7:00 p.m. with a public performance. The production, which features an all-youth cast and a post-show discussion, tackles the bullying, prejudice, racism, and violence through a multi-media live theatrical production.
Phantom Projects has been bringing educational productions to Southern California schools since 1997, but it was the tragic events at Columbine High School in 1999 that brought The Center of the Universe to national acclaim when it debuted in 2000 as an attempt to not only provide solutions but to create an avenue of discussion for California teenagers through its post-show discussion.
The drama is written by former La Mirada School teacher Bruce Gevirtzman and is directed by La Mirada graduate Steve Cisneros.
1,200 La Mirada Lamplighter Newspapers stolen from Newsroom Office Prior to Distribution
Cerritos~Members of the Cerritos Sheriff's Department are investigating the theft of 1,200 undelivered community newspapers from outside the office of Los Cerritos Community Newspaper on early Friday morning.
According to Brian Hews, Publisher of both the Los Cerritos Community Newspaper and La Mirada Lamplighter, over 1,200 printed newspapers of Friday's edition of the Lamplighter were stolen from the front of the Lamplighter office located at the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Shoemaker Avenue in Cerritos.
Hews said that their home-delivery person, Eddie Garcia, leaves the papers at the office at aroun
d 4 am in the morning with other business delivery drivers taking those papers between 7 am and 9 am.
"Our Sports Editor Loren Kopff took the Cerritos papers at 7:30 am, and said the Lamplighter papers were in front of the office when he left. Maria Gonzalez, Lamplighter Marketing Consultant, arrived at the office at 8:30 am and saw that the Lamplighter papers were gone, so they were obviously taken between 7:40 and 8:30", said Hews.
Citizen Task Force Reviews City Infrastructure Needs
La Mirada~Addressing La Mirada's aging infrastructure and the nearly $200-million needed to complete the improvements was discussed by the Citizen Task Force on City Finances and Operations at its third meeting on April 30.
The City is currently facing the challenge of replacing many infrastructure items that have been in place for over 50 years. At the same time, there is no available funding to complete the improvements. Funding has diminished in recent years as state and federal governments have reduced their support of local government. The State's grab of more than $50 million in Redevelopment Agency funds has compounded the issue.
"La Mirada faces the challenge of funding nearly $200-million of infrastructure improvements in future years," says City Manager Tom Robinson. "La Mirada needs locally-controlled funds that are protected from State takes to fix streets, roads, storm drains, and sewers before they deteriorate further and become even more expensive to repair."
La Mirada substitute teacher makes bail, court appearance set for May 22
Downey~Taylor Welch, the 22 year old substitute teacher from La Mirada who was arrested this week for allegedly exchanging sexually graphic images with a 13-year-old female has posted bond, law enforcement officials have confirmed.
Welch, who substituted at Hutchinson Middle School was slated to appear in Downey Superior Court on Thursday.
After posting a $140,000 bail bond, he was released from county jail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 22.
Overnight Lane Closures on I-5 for La Mirada and Santa Fe Springs This Week
Overnight closures of the 5 Freeway will take place Monday through Friday of this week.
The closures will be between Valley View Avenue and Carmenita Road from 10 p.m.to 5 a.m.
Caltrans will continue its work of creating two extra lanes in both directions as part of the I-5 Widening project.
For more information call (855) 454-6335 or visit www.I-5info.com
La Mirada Relay for Life Raises Over $83,000
"One Day, One Night, One Community, One Fight."
La Mirada~The annual La Mirada Relay for Life was a huge success with more than 900 participants raising over $83,000 to fight cancer and contribute money to research.
Original goals set by event leaders was 400 participants and $60,000, "We exceeded our most wildest estimates", said Randy Hebron, who was also the top fundraiser earning over $2,300.
More than 1,500 additional people showed up for the event, clogging lines around the twelve food trucks that showed up to help feed the participants.
The staff at Home Depot constructed and donated a sign that was on the hill overlooking the Relay. It was four 4′x8′ light boxes with opaque cups spelling the word HOPE that was lit up during the tear-filled luminaria ceremony.
In Memory of the Bob's raised over $11,000 top fundraisers were Nancy Whitney $703.75 , Jeanette Jenkins $930.00 , Kate Abad $280.00, Megan Abad $169.00, Vicki Brogan $275.00, Ronny Dawson $110.00, and Larry Dietz $100.00.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S. for Life's raised over $10,500, at time of publications individual fundraising totals were not available.
Team Big O was third raising over $7,000. Top earners were Joseph Manai $200.00 Norma Arvayo $25.00 Rosario Bernal $925.00 Anabel Cabrera $240.00, Judith Cabrera $285.00, and Oscar Cabrera $700.00.
Photo: Members of the La Mirada High School Key Club take time out from their duties at the La Mirada Relay For Life event held this past Saturday at Splash! Aquatic Center.
New Housing Project Coming to La Mirada
Look for expanded version of this story in this weekend's La Mirada Lamplighter
La Mirada~After sitting vacant for more than eight years, the La Mirada City Council is expected to approve this month, a 41-unit new housing project for the former Alondra Center, after the project was recently approved by the city's Planning Commission.
"We're excited and ready to start swinging some hammers and moving some dirt," said Brett Whitehead, president of Brandywine Homes who is purchasing and developing the property, "we hope to begin grading by July, and have model homes open for viewing by January of next year."
Bounded by Alondra Boulevard on the south, Escalona Road on the west, Dalmatian Avenue on the east, and homes on the north, the new neighborhood is proposed to be a closed-gate community, with a private vehicular entrance and three controlled pedestrian access gates.
The City of La Mirada Redevelopment Agency (RDA) has acquired 10 of 11 parcels on the property. The execution of a purchase agreement for the remaining parcel (previous Arco gas station), is still under negotiation.
The Whittier Daily News is reporting the city stands to lose at least $7 million on the deal-paying $12.5 million to purchase the property and receiving only about $5.7 million from Brandywine.
Although other shopping centers in the city seem to fall into a similar category, in March 2004, then city manager Andrea Travis defined the center as "blighted", and the city began the process of demolishing the site, with the intent to ultimately purchase it and develop single family homes.
According to the recent report from the city's Community Development Department, the change was necessitated by the condition of the center, along with "poor tenant retention and an increase in vacancies leading to loitering, vandalism and public safety concerns. The overall condition of the center negatively impacted the aesthetics of the City"
In 2005, the decline of the housing market led to a failed attempt to develop the property.
The two-story homes of the Orchards housing project will vary from 1,995 sq. ft. to 2,720 sq. ft. and will range from $400,000 to $500,000.
VIDEO: See Brandywine Homes president Brett Whitehead briefly describe housing project to the planning commission here.
Photos: Artists rendering of proposed development; a view of the vacant lot
Crossroads Center to be Developed
New Walgreens Will Spur Development at Stagnant "Unsightly" Center;
VIDEO: See residents address commission here.
La Mirada~Something is finally happening at the Crossroads Center in La Mirada, at least part of it.
No, really.
At its last meeting, the La Mirada Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit to allow for a drive-thru as part of a new 13,650 square foot Walgreens 
retail pharmacy to be built on the southern portion of the site-which is mostly vacant- located at Telegraph Road and Imperial Highway.
"It's good to finally be at this point," said Ruben Arceo, director of community development for La Mirada, "we're excited."
The city has made numerous attempts to develop the center.
"Look for grading to begin this summer", says Tab Johnson, partner, associated with Rich Development, who owns the property, "we should have everything done by the fourth quarter of this year."
Jeanette Garcia who lives across the street on Goldendale Drive calls the property a "dumping ground."
"They told us 10 years ago that a Home Depot was going in there. It's looked like this since. We open our front door and this is what we see. There are always people dumping mattresses, furniture, dogs, puppies, you name it. And, in the summer we have the skateboarders. I've been going to the meetings so I can find out if this is really going to happen or not." she said.
"I am very excited and am looking forward to this. I really want something done there. We want to spend money in our city. Unfortunately, La Mirada does not have a lot of shopping options, but this will very convenient."
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