2018 Synchro America Open This Week at Splash!
La Mirada~The top synchronized swimmers in the world have been gathering in La Mirada since Monday and will take on the best Southern California has to offer this week when they compete at the 2018 Synchro America Open Thursday June 7th through Saturday June 9th at Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center.
A leg of the prestigious FINA Artistic Swimming World Series, swimmers will compete in solo, duet, mixed duet, free combo and highlight routines in junior and senior divisions.
Participating athletes will be representing Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Serbia, Ukraine, and Puerto Rico.
The event is part of a two-leg North American series, which includes the 2018 Synchro Canada Open. That event was held last week in Surrey, British Columbia.
Splash! La Mirada continues to welcome top aquatic athletes from around the world. For more information about this award-winning state of the art facility, visit splashlamirada.com.
The Synchro America Open will be live-streamed by Takeitlive.tv.
For schedule, additional details and to get your tickets for the Synchro America Open, go to teamusa.org/USA-Synchronized-Swimming/Events/2018/June/06/2018-Synchro-America-Open.
New La Mirada History Book Now Available for Purchase
La Mirada residents can now own a piece of La Mirada history by purchasing La Mirada: Three Decades of Change and Challenge, Stability and Achievement, History Book today! The 60-page hardcover book chronicles the City’s rich history from 1986 through 2016. The history book details historical events, project initiatives, and challenges though images that tell the story of La Mirada.
The new history book was written by author Allen Carden, who arrived in La Mirada in 1965 and is a graduate of La Mirada High School and Biola University.
Residents can purchase La Mirada: Three Decades of Change and Challenge, Stability and Achievement for $24.95 plus tax. However, for a limited time only, residents have the option of purchasing a Book Bundle, which includes The City of La Mirada: A Silver Anniversary History, 1960-1985 and La Mirada: Three Decades of Change and Challenge, Stability and Achievement, 1986-2016 for $39.95 plus tax.
“These history books truly capture the rich heritage of the La Mirada community,” says Community Services Director Lori Thompson.
History books are available for purchase at the La Mirada Resource Center and Activity Center. For additional information or questions, call (562) 902-3160.
Owner of New Grocery Outlet Receives a Warm Community Welcome
By Brooklynn Ackerman
La Mirada~This morning was the grand opening of the new Grocery Outlet Bargain Market located at Imperial Highway and Santa Gertrudes Avenue.
Yesterday, the store hosted a sneak preview event and invited some members of the community to roam the aisles before the doors were opened today.
The store is filled with GREAT deals, lots of organic options and helpful staff members.
I had a chance to speak with Pam Brown, one of the co-owners and operators. Pam has lived in Whittier for about 18 years and is looking forward to fostering great relationships and giving back to the community.
She expressed her gratitude to neighboring businesses and members of the community who have given her and her team such a warm welcome. When I asked if she was prepared for the grand opening she stated, “I’m nervous because it’s such a big day, but I am very excited. My team has been awesome and we are ready”.
The fastest growing extreme-value grocer in the U.S., Grocery Outlet now has over 290 locations covering six states.
In honor of the grand opening, Grocery Outlet will be donating the amount of customer savings from the first hour of operation to Love La Mirada. Also this morning, mystery coupons were handed out to the first 200 guests and every shopper received a reusable bag.
From April 5th through May 3rd, shoppers can enter to win free groceries for one year! There is much to be excited about, so stop by the Grocery Outlet and check out the amazing deals!
La Mirada Community Foundation Scholarship Deadline Nears
The annual La Mirada Community Foundation is still accepting applications for their Scholarship Program from qualified high school seniors. The deadline to submit all required documents is Thursday, April 12, at 4:30 p.m. at La Mirada City Hall, located at 13700 La Mirada Boulevard.
Applications are available at La Mirada City Hall, the Resource Center, and local high schools. They are also available on the City’s website cityoflamirada.org.
The Foundation offers three scholarships: the Bob Jenkins Community Service Scholarship, the Ray Haugh Vocational Scholarship, and Southern California Edison STEM Scholarship.
The Bob Jenkins Scholarship is available to students who have provided significant community service, reside in La Mirada, and have applied to an accredited college. Applicants must complete an essay on the value of community service and their involvement in the community.
The Ray Haugh Vocational Scholarship is available to students who have provided community service and/or volunteered in La Mirada, reside in La Mirada, and are enrolled in a vocational training program or trade school.
The Southern California Edison STEM Scholarship is available to students who plan to major in Business, Computer and Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, Engineering Technology, Natural Resources and Conservation, and Physical Science. The STEM scholarship is available to students who reside in La Mirada and have applied to an accredited college.
Scholarship recipients are selected based on meeting academic requirements, the scope and duration of their community service, and their impact in the La Mirada community. For additional information, call (562) 943-0131.
La Mirada News Ticker #13
-A grand opening will take place on Thursday, April 5th for the new Grocery Outlet at 15745 Imperial Highway. The first 200 shoppers will receive a gift card loaded with an amount between $5 and $200. The fastest growing extreme-value grocer in the U.S., Grocery Outlet now has over 290 locations covering six states.
-Chick-Fil-A has submitted plans to the city to construct a new store across the street from the Holiday Inn on the southeast corner of Firestone Blvd and Gateway Drive.
-The annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place at Regional Park on Saturday, March 31st from 9:00-11:00 a.m. The 11th Annual Going Quackers for Kids Derby Duck Race will immediately follow the Easter Egg Hunt. This fun–for-all-ages event will take place at Splash! Enter the back gate of Splash! by following the duck prints. Bring a blanket, and enjoy some family time. All kids’ games and activities are FREE!
-The La Mirada Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast will take place Friday, April 13 from 7:00-9:00 a.m. at the Holiday Inn La Mirada. Guest Speaker will be County Supervisor for the 4th district, Janice Hahn.
-Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School Board member Sean Regan has resigned his seat after moving to Whittier, seven months before his term ends in November. The School District is currently accepting applications for the vacancy.
-Arts Colony of La Mirada's April meeting will feature Victoria Pflanzer as demonstrator. Ms. Pflanzer is an award winning photographer and educator at Benton Middle School. The meeting is open to the public and will be held on Monday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the La Mirada Resource Center, 13710 La Mirada Blvd. For further information call 562-941-4116 or check their website at acolm.org.
-La Mirada High baseball started their 2018 Suburban League campaign in style on March 26th. Sophomore Jared Jones struck out 11 in a complete game and Darius Perry blasted a two-run homer as the Mats (8-1-1, 1-0) beat Cerritos (8-3, 0-1) by a score of 3-0.
Easter Egg Hunt and Duck Derby this Saturday
La Mirada~Hop in for another fun-filled Easter egg Hunt on Saturday, March 31 from 9 to 11 a.m. at La Mirada Regional Park.
This free event is perfect for the whole family to enjoy and features crafts, games, music, and photos with the Easter Bunny.The egg hunts promptly begin at 10:15 a.m. and continues throughout the morning for children ages 10 and under.
La Mirada Historical Advisory Council members will be on hand to take pre-orders for the soon to be released new city-sanctioned history book, “La Mirada 1986-2016, Three Decades of Change and Challenge, Stability and Achievement.”
The La Mirada Kiwanis Club will be serving a pancake breakfast throughout the event, as well as hosting the annual Duck Derby at Splash!, which raises funds to support community causes.
For additional information, contact the Community Services Department at (562) 943-7277.
11th Annual Duck Derby Follows Easter Egg Hunt
The 11th Annual Going Quackers for Kids Derby Duck Race is this Saturday, March 31 immediately following the Easter Egg Hunt. This fun–for-all-ages event will take place at Splash! Enter the back gate of Splash! by following the duck prints! Bring a blanket, and enjoy some family time. All kids’ games and activities are FREE!
The Duck Race is sponsored by La Mirada Kiwanis and benefits multiple La Mirada community groups. Fifty percent of duck sales go directly to the selling groups. With $3,500 in cash prizes, and many other prizes, your odds are better than the lottery, and more fun!
There is a sponsor race and the main race with 5,000 ducks. Individual ducks for main race are $5.00 or 6 for $25.00, visit the Duck Race web site for more information including how to purchase a duck corporate sponsorship.
We’ll see you and your family this Saturday at Splash! after the Easter Egg Hunt!
Recent Neighborhood Watch Meetings in La Mirada
By Brooklynn Ackerman
La Mirada~On Thursday, March 15th, City of La Mirada Public Safety officer Mary Cipres and the principal of Foster Road Elementary, Sal Villagomez, hosted a Neighborhood Watch meeting to give the community a chance to express some of their concerns.
Around 30 members of the community gathered at Foster Road Elementary to ask questions directly to the deputies that are assigned to the La Mirada area. The deputies were happy to answer any questions and shared a few positive updates.
Recently there have been a few troubling incidents in the area and the officers confirmed they have discovered the cause of the issues and have a firm handle on it. They reiterated that gang activity will not be tolerated and they are taking action to suppress it.
Cipres and the officers encourage the members of the community to call the La Mirada Sheriff's station at (562) 902-2960 if they witness anything suspicious, no matter how big or small.
She also shared a few other ways to stay informed and involved in the community. E-Watch is a weekly email that is sent out to provide updates about criminal activity in the city. You can access it on the city's website under "Reference Links".
In addition, you can download the app My La Mirada which is an easy way to bring attention to things that need to be addressed, such as broken city equipment, tagging, etc. You simply take a photo of what you are observing and send it through the app. You can also follow La Mirada Public Safety on Facebook (@LaMiradaPublicSafety) and on Twitter (@LaMiradaPS) to stay connected.
Additional meetings were hosted at Gardenhill Elementary on March 22nd and at a home in the Foster Park area on March 23rd.
Itâs the âEnd of an Eraâ in La Mirada
By Brooklynn Ackerman and Tony Aiello
La Mirada~April has a different feel in town this year as it appears that the “4 La Mirada Kids Carnival” at Benton Middle School will not take place after a 23-year run.
The three-day event has been held since 1994, when it was started by a core group consisting of Howard Haas (La Mirada High School Principal), Pete Dames (La Mirada City Council), Gary Sloan (La Mirada City Manager) and visionary Ray Haugh (Kiwanis Club of La Mirada).
Haugh originally pitched the idea about hosting a carnival in 1983, but it was shelved until 1994 when Haas approached the group saying that La Mirada High School was falling short by $10,000 for extracurricular activities. These funds were jeopardized by education budget cuts at the time.
So, the group started the event to help raise funds for local educational programs and activities such as field trips, sports and band equipment. In 1996, the carnival raised $33,500 for this purpose.
The carnival would go on to raise over $30,000 annually and consistently, for many years, with 100% of the proceeds going back into the community.
The Kiwanis Club was the major underwriter of the event until the La Mirada Community Foundation took over about 15 years ago. The Foundation has stated they would not be the signing authority (insurance) in 2018, putting the carnival in jeopardy.
Foundation member and former City Councilman Hal Malkin, an early-year organizer and contributor for many seasons said, “There have been some disasters over the past few years. Rain two years ago and last year the county shut down the rides,” he said in a phone interview, “It’s just dwindled over the years and it’s the end of an era, it’s seen its life.”
Also in question this year is where the carnival would be hosted as Benton is currently undergoing major athletic field renovations.
Current organizers are hopeful and said the event could possibly be held at an alternate location this year and perhaps return to Benton next year if a new sponsor could be found.
Latest La Mirada Crime Report
The following is the La Mirada crime report as reported by the City of La Mirada Feb. 26. - Mar. 04, 2018.
Notable Arrests-Ten suspects were arrested throughout La Mirada for various warrants and narcotics violations.
Residential Burglary-Several credit cards were reported stolen during a daytime burglary on the 12300 block of Bristol Dr.
Other Structure Burglary-An early morning window smash burglary was reported on the 14800 block of Telegraph Rd. The exact loss is yet to be determined.
Vehicle Burglary-A daytime window smash burglary was reported on the 13300 block of Beach Blvd. The exact loss is yet to be reported.
Grand Theft- Several personal items were reported stolen from two unlocked vehicles on the 14700 block of Excelsior Dr. A package was stolen from a residence on the 13100 block of San Felipe St.
Grand Theft Vehicle-A sedan was reported stolen on the 14800 block of Telegraph Rd. A SUV was reported stolen on the 14400 block of San Ardo Dr. The vehicle has since been recovered by Norwalk Sheriff's. A sedan was reported stolen on the 15900 block of Imperial Hwy. A stolen sedan was recovered on the 14700 block of Beach Blvd. The vehicle was reported stolen out Fullerton PD's area.
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