OBITUARY: Miriam “Mrs. O” Oxman
Miriam Oxman, 95, of Buena Park passed away November 18, 2017. She started a mail-order business at Rosecrans and Valley View Avenues in Santa Fe Springs in 1961 with her husband Jerome Oxman that would become Oxman’s Surplus, a landmark in Southern California for its extraordinary military museum, war memorabilia, and surplus military sales to the public
Miriam Averbook was born August 26, 1922 in Superior, Wisconsin, and married Jerome Oxman of Duluth, Minnesota, in 1947. The couple came to California on their honeymoon and never went back.
Together, Mr. and Mrs. “O” created “Oxman’s Surplus, which grew into a sprawling military surplus outlet and a military museum. Miriam established a military-themed cafe in the store, featuring hot dogs, chicken nuggets and MREs, the military ready-to-eat meals that soldiers eat on the battlefield.
Oxman's is a favorite of generations of La Mirada kids.
Even in her 90’s Mrs. O was a fixture in the store, coming to work every day to be with the customers who cherished and loved her. Veterans from all over the world came to the store, for treasured memorabilia which was impossible to find anywhere else. Miriam got such a kick out of serving customers.
City Bites
Help those less fortunate this holiday season with La Mirada’s annual Holiday Toy and Food Drive. Now through December 11, donations of new, unwrapped toys, and nonperishable food items will be accepted at the following City facilities: Activity Center, City Hall, Community Sheriff’s Station, Gymnasium, La Mirada Library, Splash!, and the Resource Center. This wonderful program will help provide holiday gifts and meals for La Mirada families in need during the holiday season.
The La Mirada Activity Center will be hosting free dental screenings on Wednesday, November 22 from 10 to 11 a.m. No insurance is necessary. New Age Dental will be providing a dentist to conduct screenings to seniors age 55 and above. The dentist will be performing checkups only. If there is something of concern during a checkup, community members will be advised to go to their regular dental care facility for treatment. For additional information, contact the La Mirada Activity Center at (562) 902-3160.
Registration for winter swimming lessons at Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center opened earlier this week. Registration can be completed online, by phone, or in person at Splash! or the Resource Center. Splash! offers a variety of swim lessons for all ages and ability levels with morning, evening, and weekend classes available, If assistance is needed to determine class level, skill tests are available prior to registration. Participants may come to Splash! during recreational swim hours for testing. For additional information on swim lessons or other aquatic programs, call Splash! at (562) 902-3191 or visit splashlamirada.com.
Lowest Prices Prices Ever Offered to La Mirada Residents for Theatre Subscription Deals
Guests were given historic tours of the Theatre; viewed a panel discussion with several key individuals who discussed building the Theatre, the early days of the Theatre, and ways it has evolved over the last four decades; and saw free rotating performance by theatrical groups.
If you missed the Theatre’s Open House event, do not worry because the celebration is not over yet. The Theatre is currently offering its lowest subscription prices ever!
Purchase both screenings of the Angels in America series for the low price of $25. The series include Part one: Millennium Approaches and Part two: Perestroika. Purchase tickets before they are all sold out to this must-see theatrical event of the year!
The Your Theatre Your Seat promotion allows each La Mirada resident household one free ticket to a show of their choosing. Some restrictions may apply.
Low priced subscription deals are still available for La Mirada residents. The four-show package deal is currently 45 percent off and the three-show package deal is 40 percent off.
The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard.
For additional information on upcoming shows and package deals, visit lamiradatheatre.com or call (562) 944-9801.
Reading Oasis at Foster Road to Open at the Thanksgiving Feast
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| Foster Road Principal Sal Villagomez cuts the ribbon at the new Reading Oasis flanked by (l to r), NLMUSD Trustee Jesse Urquidi, La Mirada City Councilman John Lewis, Cerritos College Trustee President Zurich Lewis, NLMUSD Superintendent Hasmick Danielson and Trustee Chris Pflanzer along La Mirada Kiwanis President Jack Miranda and Interclub Director Debbie Schiebel. (Photo La Mirada Kiwanis) |
La Mirada~On Wednesday November 1st, members from the Kiwanis Club of La Mirada unveiled the Reading Oasis at Foster Road Elementary School.
The Kiwanis Club, with the help of Scholastic and several other donors, designed a bright, spacious room and filled it with several books, tables, and computers. Their vision was to provide a space for children and members of the community to gather, read, and grow. There are over 1,200 books in the room all of a wide variety, including Spanish books as well as a few audio books.
The co-chairs of this project were proud to present the room to all the esteemed members of the community that attended the grand opening. They graciously thanked all of the donors who together contributed a total of 14,000 to make this room financially possible as well as those who attended the "working parties" to get the room set up.
Foster Road's principal, Sal Villagomez, showed his gratitude to the Kiwanis Club for setting forth the idea and working with him to bring such a positive contribution to the school and the community as a whole. He mentioned his hopes to garner more parent involvement and this room is a clear step in that direction.
After discussing the intention and overall vision for the room, the grand opening commenced with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Reading Oasis will be introduced and opened to the public during the Foster Road's Thanksgiving Feast on November 16th.
La Mirada Kiwanis to Host Grand Opening of New Reading Area at Foster Road Elementary
The Kiwanis Club of La Mirada will host a grand opening of a new reading area at Foster Road Elementary on Wednesday, November 1st from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
The “Reading Oasis” have a new reading area filled with over 1,200 books, bean bags, colorful carpet, a rocking chair, an audio station and decorative walls so that the students of the school will have a fun area to read by themselves or have adults read to them.
The La Mirada service club partnered with Scholastic Books, the Kiwanis CNH Foundation, the California Jaycee Foundation and Walmart for this project.
Light refreshments will be served. Foster Road Elementary is located at 13900 Foster Road in La Mirada.
For more information or to join Kiwanis please call (714) 670-0186.
La Mirada Lamplighter Publisher Under Fire for Fake News Story
Los Angeles~In a startling departure from traditional standards of journalism, Los Cerritos Community News and La Mirada Lamplighter publisher Brian Hews claims the ability to read the minds of people with whom he has neither met nor spoken with.
In a series of sworn statements made under oath, Mr. Hews made several astonishing admissions regarding the fake news story that he authored and published falsely accusing Central Basin Municipal Water District Board Member Leticia Vasquez and Montebello City Councilwoman Vanessa Delgado of attempted bribery and extortion.
The June 26, 2016 article states that during a meeting with Cook Hills Properties LLC officials, Ms. Vasquez and Ms. Delgado attempted to extort money from and solicit bribes from officials of the Newport Beach real estate development company.
Cook Hills’ officials, Ms. Vasquez and Ms. Delgado have all provided sworn statements in Ms. Vasquez’s Los Angeles Superior Court defamation lawsuit (Case No. BC658053) against Mr. Hews denying the allegations and stating that the whole story is fabricated.
La Mirada Library Hosting Halloween Events for Kids and Pets
Great ways for kids and pets to celebrate Halloween are on slate for the La Mirada Library this month.
October 27th from 3:30-5:00 p.m. Practice your reading skills with a friendly and gentle dog! Read to a trained therapy dog and volunteer handler from the Pet Prescription Team. Recommended for school age children. Parent permission and sign-up is required.
October 28th at 10:00 a.m. Meet and greet dogs, cats, and rabbits of various breeds and colors. Come meet and greet the stars of this amazing library tour. Keep the fun going with the on-site adoption opportunities. All ages welcome!
October 28th at 10:00 a.m you can have fun designing your own mask. Wear it for Halloween or just for fun. There will be several themes to choose from.
October 31st Celebrate Halloween at the La Mirada Library! Come dressed in your Halloween costume and enjoy an afternoon of Swazzle’s Musical Monster Mash-Up puppet show from 6:00-6:45 p.m followed by a tasty treat. All ages are welcome to attend. Recommended for children 5 - 10 years-old and up. Sponsored by the Friends of the La Mirada Library.
For more info view the event flyers here.
Rosecrans/Marquardt Separation Project Community Meeting at Resource Center
La Mirada~Residents are invited to the Rosecrans/Marquardt Separation Project community meeting to be held Tuesday, October 17 at the La Mirada Resource Center from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. with presentations at 4:30 and 6:00.
Long recognized as the most hazardous rail crossing in the state by regulators, construction is expected to begin in just over a year on a project that will grade separate the Santa Fe Springs intersection above the BNSF railroad tracks.
Three deaths and 20+ incidents have occurred there from 2013-2015, many we reported right here. The railroad tracks cross through the intersection diagonally, apparently making it more difficult for motorists and pedestrians to see oncoming trains.
The industrial intersection is located about a football field south of the La Mirada city limits. The southwest corner was a haven for West La Mirada teenagers and their dirt bikes in the 70’s when it was just a huge dirt lot, as this writer can personally attest to.
La Mirada area residents have been hearing the train horns well before incorporation since the tracks were laid in the late 19th century.
The Metro Transportation Authority (Metro) will oversee the $137 million+ funded project and along with Caltrans, they have studied ways to improve the crossing.
In March 2016, Metro identified a preferred alternative to grade separate Rosecrans and Marquardt from the railway after two community meetings were held in La Mirada to discuss various options.
Since then, the project team has been working on refining the alternative, completing the environmental process, and getting the project ready for construction.
At the upcoming community meeting on October 17, residents will learn more about the status of the environmental and design process and the anticipated next steps leading to the construction phase and be able to provide feedback.
Oh, and those train horns.
Just up the tracks to the east, the Valley View Avenue Separation Project was completed in 2014. So, when the Rosecrans project is complete, train horns will not be heard in this area for the first time in over 120 years.
Construction is expected to begin in 2019 and be completed sometime in 2021.
Latest La Mirada Ticker
Tickets are now on sale for “The Magic of Christmas” by the Young Americans, a spectacular show playing again at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts this holiday season.
The popular La Mirada “Dollar Theatre” at Adelfa and Rosecrans has apparently has been bought by the AMC theater chain and is now the AMC Classic-La Mirada 7. At one time, admission for the dollar theatre was actually $1.00 when it debuted way back when. Grapevine rumors are indicating AMC plans call for a major remodel that will include ultra-reclining seats and a bar with food entrees. Stay tuned.
Speaking of beer, after a long process, right next door to AMC, Cabo Taco Baja Grill appears to be another step closer to the city allowing them to serve beer and wine in their remodeled patio. It’s long overdue-good news!
Last chance to enjoy Buccaneer Bay for the season is Saturday, October 14th. For additional information, call (562) 943-7277 or visit splashlamirada.com.
The La Mirada Symphony recently announced their new Board of Directors-David Derks, President; Hiten Ratanjee, Treasurer/Director of Finance; Pilar Graves, Secretary; Chris Kawate, Director of Ways and Means and Antoniette Saunders, Creative Director.
Reunited and It Feels So Good; Theatre Piano Used By Bennett in ‘77 Restored by Same Piano Man for Special Reunion Concert in La Mirada
By Brooklynn Ackerman
La Mirada~As you may or may not know, this year marks the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Art’s 40th anniversary and in celebration of this milestone, Tony Bennett is returning to the stage where he performed back in September of 1977 for the Theatre’s grand opening night.
On Thursday night October 12, 2017 the theatre is not only welcoming back Bennett, but also welcoming back its old piano, the same piano Bennett played on 40 years ago. But the chain of homecomings doesn’t stop there.
The piano Bennett played on that opening night in 1977 was installed and tuned by a man named Ed Whitting. Mr. Whitting prepared the piano for opening night and had the pleasure of meeting Bennett. After all these years the piano was retired and replaced, as it was in need of major repairs and adjustments to get it back into its old tune.
In preparation for this big night, the city financed the piano’s restoration and so Mr. Whitting was called upon to work his magic and prepare the piano once again. Mr. Whitting will complete the restoration of the Theatre’s old piano just in time for Bennett’s show.
This grand reunion adds to excitement of the night as well as to the extensive history of the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Stories such as these truly highlight how theatre has been and will continue to be such vital part of our community.
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