UFC Offering Free 22-Day Pass for Veterans to Support Awareness Program
La Mirada~UFC GYM hosted their #22ADAY Campaign to generate awareness for the #22Kill Veteran Awareness Program, a global movement bridging the gap between veterans and civilians to build a community of support to help and address issues of veteran mental health.
UFC teamed up with 22 local business partners within Whittier, La Mirada, La Habra and Buena Park to share the experience and members and partners did 22 pushups each on Friday April 22nd at 2:22pm.
UFC Gym has a goal of generating 222,000 pushups to support the cause. Members who participated received a #22ADAY UFC Gym branded rubber bracelet to show their support after the event.
From April 22nd-30th, all Veterans will receive a 22-day UFC membership. Military ID required, contact UFC GYM/La Mirada at (714) 332-1770 for details.
La Mirada Carnival at Benton Now Open Through Sunday
La Mirada~The annual "4 La Mirada Kids" Community Carnival to be held at Benton Middle School is fast approaching. Guests can expect a fun-filled weekend with family and friends enjoying amusement park rides, food, and entertainment.
Entertainment acts include performances by Benton Middle School Band, The Oaks Sisters, The Grey Matter, Royals Cheer, Glory of Paradise, and Alohi Polynesia dancers.Craft vendors will be selling handmade items and decorative crafts. A variety of food trucks will be offering food items for sale. Tony Aiello of the La Mirada Blog will MC the festivities on Saturday.
Exciting rides and amusements will be available for those seeking thrills. Milder rides for younger children will also be offered.Tony Aiello of the La Mirada Blog will MC the entertainment on Saturday.
The La Mirada Community Foundation sponsors the carnival to raise funds for youth groups and community organizations that provide educational, cultural, and extracurricular opportunities in La Mirada. Carnival days and hours are Friday, April 22, 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, April 23, noon to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, April 24, 1 to 6 p.m.
Norwalk-La Mirada Middle School Students to Perform With La Mirada Symphony
La Mirada~30 Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District middle school students will showcase their musical talents at 10 a.m. and noon Tuesday, April 19 when they perform with the La Mirada Symphony at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
The annual music program highlights the District’s stellar visual and performing arts program. Two NLMUSD music teachers – Vanessa Trevino and David Yamamoto – will serve as guest conductors. The 1,000-student audience will include advanced band, orchestra and guitar students from District middle schools and the entire fifth-grade class.
The District offers every NLMUSD student the opportunity to take a music class upon entering sixth-grade. These performances with the La Mirada Symphony will allow potential VAPA students to experience the benefits of the program and inspire them to take advantage of the education opportunity.
In other Symphony news, their upcoming American Masters POP concert this Saturday night will feature revered works from George Gershwin, Morton Gould, and Leroy Anderson. They're also thrilled to premiere two new pieces from modern composers, Chris Anderson and Cody Gil.
For tickets to Saturday's performance and more information visit the Symphony's website here.
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts is located at 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada.
Phantom Projects and La Mirada Blog Partner to Provide Free Theatre for all La Mirada Students
La Mirada~On April 21 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, Phantom Projects Theatre Group will continue it’s mission of using live theatre as a way to reach and teach teen audiences, with the powerful production of THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. The production, which mixes multi-media presentations and live theatre, focuses on the overall value of human life by comparing tragic historical events with stories inspired by today’s headlines.
The production features an all-youth cast, and an engaging post-show discussion with the audience and the performers.
Thanks to the 2015/16 Season Sponsor, La Mirada Blog, the message of the production, which also tackles bullying, racim, violence and intolerance, will be available for free to all students of La Mirada schools, and students living in La Mirada. The offer, which is only available in person at the La Mirada Theatre Box Office (14900 La Mirada Blvd, La Mirada) is valid on new orders only.
La Mirada’s Phantom Projects Presents The Center of the Universe April 21st
Journey into the past and gain new perspective on the present as stories from slavery and the Holocaust are woven with events inspired by today's headlines.
Phantom’s Project’s next production of their 2015-16 season presented by the La Mirada Blog, The Center of the Universe will leave you motivated with an unforgettable message about the value of human life.
The Center of the Universe, written by Bruce Gevirtzman and directed by Steve Cisneros shows April 21st, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard.
Tickets: $10.00. Box Office: (562) 944-9801. Web: www.LaMiradaTheatre.com/PhantomProjects
One Killed, Two Injured in Late-Night Crash On Valley View
La Mirada~A single-vehicle fatal traffic incident occurred around 11:45 p.m. last night near the intersection of Valley View Avenue and Artesia Boulevard along the La Mirada/Cerritos border.
The vehicle struck a tree and killed a male passenger and injured two females, one of them the driver. They remain hospitalized in serious condition.
Sheriff's officials, who have indicated speed was a factor, continue their investigation of the crash.
The Habit Coming to La Mirada; McDonald’s Plans Continue to Move Forward
La Mirada-If current plans continue, the city will have another dining option, The Habit Burger Grill.
City Planner Gabriel Bautista told the La Mirada Blog that The Habit has submitted plans for tenant improvements at the old Starbucks facility located at the
southwest corner of La Mirada Boulevard and Imperial Highway.
The plans call for The Habit to convert the store and also take over part of the current wireless retail outlet adjacent to the unit.
With the amount of work to be done, including the installation of a full kitchen, no time frame can be set at this time for the possible opening of the restaurant said Bautista.
With headquarters in Irvine, The Habit currently operates 147 fast-casual stores, according to its website. It was founded in 1969 by two brothers in Santa Barbara.
We are hopeful, if plans continue to move forward, that the opening of the new restaurant would be before the end of the year.
Other Development News
Let’s hope The Habit doesn’t take as long as McDonald’s.
Across the street, as far as we can tell, McDonald’s still plans to lease and build where the iconic Carriage still stands at The Crossroads Center at Imperial Highway and Telegraph Road.
The project continues to move forward, even though now it’s been over two years since Rich Development (property owners) and McDonald’s announced the agreement.
Residents stormed city hall to save The Carriage, a famous La Mirada eatery, in March of 2014. It was then shuttered by a major kitchen fire in December of 2014.
The plan for the new Mickey D’s has already gone through the city planning process for approval, including two public hearings last year. Yet ,there has been little movement, even though McDonald’s presented tenant plans in February of last year.
Bautista told us McDonald’s, as far as he knows, still has intention to build however they have yet to pull a demolition permit for The Carriage.
REVIEW: Catch the Dream at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
When it comes to diversity in the arts, the McCoy Rigby Entertainment Group is ahead of the game (you know what I'm talkin' about), especially with their latest presentation, the Tony and Oscar Award winning musical Dreamgirls, currently in its off-Broadway run from now through April 17th at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts that continues to bring phenomenal productions to our own diverse community.
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| Brittney Johnson, Jasmin Richardson and Danielle Truitt star in the production of "DREAMGIRLS" - Directed and Choreographed by Robert Longbottom and now playing at LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. |
Set in the early 60's when the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York was busting at its seams with performers like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and The Supremes, an amateur night of sorts is where Dreamgirls begins.
This musical moves quickly as The Dreamettes (channel The Ronettes) miss out on their chance of stardom. They are quickly offered to sing back up for the star known as Jimmy "Thunder" Early and despite hesitation by the groups lead singer, Effie (played by Moya Angela) Lorrell (Brittney Johnson) and Deena (Jasmin Richardson) the other two-thirds of The Dreamettes convince Effie this can be the groups "big break."
Cut to The Dreamgirls, now taking stage with Early, popular with hit after hit--- no. What actually happens is indicative of the early 60's when musicians like Little Richard or Muddy Waters penned the songs that would be sung by the non-African American contemporary--- a popular hit on the backs of an artist not credited. Soon the tension becomes apparent amongst The Dreams (formerly The Dreamettes) and a split and replacement of a lead singer transpires. Over a course of nearly a decade, we see the evolution of a female trio, the decline of a musical genre, and the success of writers and performers alike.
I went to see Dreamgirls without much known of the story as I have never seen the movie that starred Beyonce, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Hudson. I'm happy I didn't because going in with preconceived notions on how this cast "should" perform hits like "one Night Only" and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" would be unfair to the cast.
Progress Continues on La Mirada Library Renovation
La Mirada~As part of Supervisor Don Knabe’s “Operation Libraries” project, over $45 million is being invested into the restoration of County libraries in the Fourth Supervisorial District, including $4 million to renovate the La Mirada Library.
The City is managing the design and construction of the renovation project and the library will be returned to the County following completion of the work. Emar Studio for Public Architecture is the architect on the project and Citadel CPM, Inc. is the construction management firm.
The project will be completed in two phases, a demolition phase and a construction phase. The project team has completed the first phase of the project which
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| The library renovation team completes the first phase of the project which includes the removal of the interior walls and fixtures. The $4 million dollar project is expected to be completed at the end of this year. |
included the removal of the majority of the interior walls and fixtures.
The architect also prepared plans and specifications for the second phase. Work includes modifications to the lighting and ceiling; new carpet, paint, and service desks; improvements to electrical, mechanical, and telecommunications infrastructure; installation of new furniture, fixtures, equipment, and signage; replacement of all existing window framing and panels with energy efficient dual glazing; and required ADA upgrades.
The City Council recently awarded the contract to The Nazerian Group. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-April.
The temporary library is located on the lower level of the La Mirada Resource Center, 13710 La Mirada Boulevard. The library operates at the following hours:
Monday – Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday – noon to 5 p.m. Saturday – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday – Closed
La Mirada Receives High Ranks for Fiscal Health
The City of La Mirada was recently ranked in the top 96th percentile for overall fiscal health from United States Common Sense. United States Common Sense is a national organization dedicated to opening government data to the public and educating citizens about how their governments work.
The United States Common Sense organization collects Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) statements annually from governments across the United States and uses the data to create a free, comprehensive public finance database.
Since it was founded in 2010, United States Common Sense has been featured in well-known publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Reuters, and more.
For this year’s ranking, evaluators received CAFRs for more than 13,000 local governments and all 50 states, and reviewed almost 10,000 audits. The information is used to rank governments on budget balance, asset flexibility, and pension funding.
