La Mirada, and Its News, Has Always Been a Part of Her Life
Morgan Hurley, Daughter of La Mirada Lamplighter Managing Editor Dick Hurley, Remembers Early La Mirada and Welcomes the New Lamplighter. Look for this story in this weekends edition of the new Lamlighter.
When I first heard that the La Mirada Lamplighter might be stepping back into the spotlight in my beloved home town, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that.
After all, I was born right around the time my father, Richard (Dick) Hurley really began to come into his own with the original Lamplighter newspaper.
My older brother Jet was a few years older but away each week at school in Riverside, so until my sister Palmer and brother Blaze were born five and six years later, consecutively, the Lamplighter was my only sibling.
I say sibling because even though it was my dad's profession, my household lived and breathed that newspaper and it was an intimate part of my own childhood and life from my earliest days.
As a youngster, I proudly greeted every adult I ever met with, "do you know that little green newspaper, the Lamplighter? That's my daddy's paper."
I reveled in my dad's profession, accompanying him to the office while he worked, first in the stationery store down from Thrifty's in the Mall and then in an office in Ed Spitalnick's Realty office on Adelfa.
I can still smell the ink from the typing tape on his old fashioned Remington Rand typewriter, and the loud hum of his IBM Selectric in his later years.
Dad often brought me along when he had to do a photo shoot at public events, where he always held his Yashica Mat twin lens camera arms-length high above his 5'6" frame, eyes looking up into the viewfinder, to get the best angle and shot over the crowd.
I was one of the first (if not the first) news-girls in town in 1975. I got up at 4 am every Thursday and 6 am every Saturday to stuff, fold, rubber-band and deliver up to 50 papers on my bicycle, to my neighborhood route , sandwiched between La Mirada Blvd and the Biola Creek.
Splash! to Host Major Swimming Competitions in February
La Mirada~Come out and see some outstanding talent take to the pool in the next few weeks as Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center will be the site of a number of top aquatic competitions.
First off, the 2012 Younger Junior Olympic Championships will be held February 3rd-5th. This Championship meet will feature some of the fastest 12 and under swimmers in Southern California and Nevada.
These swimmers will make a splash in La Mirada's state of the art swimming facility with dreams of the 2016 Olympics and beyond. Prelims will start at 9 a.m. each day, with finals being held in the early afternoon, admission is free.
Biola Competes in PCSD Championships
The Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving Championships will take to the water and the boards February 8th-11th, featuring teams from all divisions of the NCAA and the NAIA including La Mirada's own Biola University.
The exciting collegiate competition will include both swimming and diving. Prelims will begin around 9 a.m. each day and finals will start around 3 p.m. Admission is $10 for each session or an all session pass can be purchased at the gate for $50.
On Sunday, February 12 Splash! will switch gears from swimming to water polo to host one of the largest and most prestigious age-group water polo tournaments anywhere, when Winterfest '12 takes to the pool.
For more information on these or other competitions, visit the Splash! web site at Splashlamirada.com or contact Splash! at (562) 902-3191
CRIME REPORT: Ratliffe, Granada, and Woodbay Hit by Burglaries
The following is the crime report for La Mirada January 23-29, 2012:
Aggravated Assault
Two assaults were reported last week. An assault was reported near Ratliffe Dr. and Woodridge Ave. A suspect was taken into custody. An assault reported on the 14000 block of Mansa Dr also resulted in a suspect being arrested.
Residential Burglary.
A burglary occurred on the 14900 block of Woodbay Dr. Jewelry was taken from the location. A burglary was reported on the 15000 block of Granada Ave. An arrest was made later the same day in connection with the incident. An attempted burglary was reported on the 14100 block of Ratliffe St.
Other Structure Burglary
An attempted burglary was reported on the 16700 block of Valley View Ave. Several office doors were pried at the location. A burglary to a garage occurred on the 15400 Lofthill Dr. Responding deputies arrested a suspect for the incident.
Vehicle Burglary
Three vehicle burglaries were reported last week. A burglary was reported on the 14000 block of Foster Rd. A purse was stolen from the vehicle. An incident was reported on the 13100 block of Sunnybrook Ln. A subwoofer and various other items were taken. A burglary was reported in a shopping center parking lot on the 15200 block of Rosecrans Ave. The vehicle's stereo and other items were taken.
Grand Theft
A theft of a vehicle's catalytic converter was reported on the 14700 block of Costa Mesa Dr. An incident was reported on the 15200 block of Desman Rd. A theft was reported on the 12700 block of First St. A guitar and amplifier which was left curbside was stolen.
Grand Theft Vehicle
Two vehicle thefts were reported last week. A forklift was reported stolen from the 15800 block of Imperial Hwy. An older model Acura was stolen from the 15800 block of Alicante Rd. The vehicle was recovered later the same day on the 12900 block of Edwards Rd.
A Message From New Lamplighter Publisher
After 24 years , the Newspaper That Evolved With the City, is Coming Back
Dear La Mirada residents:
Welcome to your new-only in age-La Mirada Lamplighter.
As President, Publisher and Owner of Hews Media Group, we are very excited about the Lamplighter and hope to carry on the tradition that Dick Hurley started years ago. We have recruited local resident Tony Aiello as Associate Editor, and he will have a few other writers covering La Mirada. The paper will feature (in the beginning) La Mirada stories on the front page and two to four center pages, with a mix of community news (including La Mirada) from other cities that we cover-cities that are neighbors to La Mirada. News coverage will include City Council/Planning Commission meetings, local events, school news, club news, feature columns, sports, and we will have an Opinion page where residents are encouraged to discuss and debate local issues.
Here is a quick rundown on of the HMG personnel:
Most of us were born with ink in our veins. I am part of a third generation newspaper family and have been in the community newspaper industry for over 30 years.
My grandfather started Wave Newspapers in Los Angeles which grew to the largest community newspaper in the nation during the 1990's, having 280,000 circulation, over 840,000 readers each week.
I purchased Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in 2002 which now publishes 40,000 papers per week, 120,000 readers, and is home delivered to seven cities: Cerritos, Artesia, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, Pico Rivera, La Palma, and Norwalk.
REVIEW: “The 39 Steps” at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
La Mirada~"The 39 Steps" is a pure mixture of imagination and creativity, bringing the audience into a realm of fantasy where over one hundred and fifty characters are played by a cast of only four.
It is a constant rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns- incorporating laugh out loud comedy, a thrilling adventure of suspense, and even a dash of romance.
Patrick Barlow creates a masterpiece, based off of Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film of the same name. The play features spies, mysteries and thrills strewn together in an adaptation perfect for any age.
The plot is a gem- but it doesn't stop at that! The cast is an absolute delight and the scene changes are executed flawlessly; from trains, planes, to automobiles!
Cast member Dana Green steals the start of the show with her charm and perfect accent playing the character Annabella Schmit, and continues to wear many hats throughout the show. Fellow actor, Andrew Borba, is convincing playing the witty and comical, Richard Hannay.
The La Mirada Theatre pulls off a great show and it's no surprise that 39 Steps has already won two Tony Awards. This is a show that you won't want to miss!
The 39 Steps runs through February 12th. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at www.lamiradatheatre.com or by calling the box office at (562) 944-9801
Iconic La Mirada Newspaper Makes Its Return
La Mirada~The La Mirada Lamplighter newspaper is returning to La Mirada after a 24-year hiatus.
The new La Mirada Lamplighter will debut Friday, January 27th, 2012 according to Los Cerritos Community News publisher, Brian Hews, who has resurrected the paper.
Hews' network of newspapers currently serves readers in Cerritos, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, Norwalk, Lakewood, and La Palma.
According to the Library of Congress, the paper started in 1955 as part of the Buena Park News the Weekender. In 1964 it became a twice weekly, ending in 1988.
Dick Hurley, the Lamplighter's popular managing editor, ran the newspaper from 1955-80.
The paper peaked in the 70's and has become a very popular, almost cult-like memory for this nostalgia-craving town.
The new edition is expected to be printed weekly on Fridays, being delivered to drop-spots at key locations throughout La Mirada, with a circulation of 15,000 and an estimated readership of 42,000.
At this time, home delivery will not commence until the first weekend following the Friday print issue, with plans calling for all La Mirada homes to receive an issue, free of charge.
Yours truly has been named the Associate Editor, working alongside Editor-in-Chief, Jerry Bernstein. Send your press releases, news stories, and comments to me at news@lamiradablog.com.
Visit us on our Lamplighter Facebook page and tell us how happy you are to have the La Mirada Lamplighter back: http://tinyurl.com/87tfmgj
Photo: The La Mirada Volunteer Center is excited, after reading the Lamplighter trial edition in December.
Look for the new La Mirada Lamplighter at these and other fine area establishments:
Amy's Cafe 14228 Imperial Hwy
Asian Palace Buffet 15028 Rosecrans Avenue
Beauty Supplies Too 15864 Imperial Highway
Best Care Dental 15651 Imperial Hwy
Bestway Supermarkets 12721 Valley View
Bonjour 
Bagel Cafe 15010 La Mirada Blvd
Breezewood Village Senior Apts 16000 Grayville Dr
Camping World 14900 Firestone Blvd
Carriage Coffee Shop 14871 Imperial Hwy
Family Orthodontic Center 14930 Imperial Highway
IHOP Restaurant 15140 La Mirada Blvd
La Mirada Community Dental 14930 Imperial Highway
La Mirada Family Dentistry 15071 East Imperial Highway
La Mirada Golf Course 15501 East Alicante Road
La Mirada Landmark Adult Community 13710 Avenida Santa Tecla
La Mirada Council Passes Resolution to Postpone Redevelopment Dissolution; New Community Commissioner Named
La Mirada~The city council on Tuesday passed resolution 12-06 to support legislation, along with other area cities of SB 659, which will temporarily postpone the dissolution of redevelopment agencies in the state.
With the passing of recent bill ABX1 26, the state has essentially told city redevelopment agencies to shut down shop.
“This is a travesty”, City manager Tom Robinson said, “The state is eliminating organizations that do a billion dollars worth of good.”
Many city agencies are scrambling to react and hope to postpone the shutdown to at least April 15th-which SB 659 will provide.
A series of events must take place in the State Legislature by February 1st however, to make that happen, including a call for a special session.
With that February 1st deadline looming, the city redevelopment agency may have performed its last action as an official body. The Lamplighter has asked several area city managers, including our own Tom Robinson to comment on the end of redevelopment. Their comments can be found on page 7.
NEW CITY COMMISSIONER NAMED
La Mirada native, Kenny Meyer was sworn in as the city’s latest commissioner.
Kenny will serve on the Community Services Commission for an unexpired term ending in June 2013.
Kenny was born and raised in La Mirada, and has been very involved in youth sports programs over the years.
He has served as an assistant for the La Mirada High School freshmen football for ten years, and initiated a study session program for the players.
Congress Passes Sánchez Legislation Honoring Former La Mirada Councilman
Congresswomans' Bill Renames La Mirada Post Office for Wayne Grisham
Recently, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 2158, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-39) which honors the accomplishments of long-time civic leader and public servant, the Honorable Wayne Grisham (R-La Mirada).
H.R. 2158 designates the U.S. Post Office located at 14901 Adelfa Drive in La Mirada, CA, as the “Wayne Grisham Post Office.”
“Wayne Grisham was a man of principle and great personal integrity who believed in a civil political discourse,” said Congresswoman Sánchez. “Every public servant should show the same dedication as Wayne showed for our local community. Wayne truly believed in helping people and his hard work as a member of La Mirada City Council, the California State Assembly, and Congress has left an enduring impact on the community.
I look forward to the day when people will be able to see the Wayne Grisham Post Office and be reminded of the dedication of a true public servant.”
Improvements in West La Mirada Continue
La Mirada~The second phase of the Foster Park Improvements project continues in the area bounded by Imperial Highway to the north, Milan Creek to the south, Clearwood Avenue to the east, and Marquardt Avenue to the west.
Storm drain piping and catch basins have been installed to prevent street flooding and redirect the water to underground storm drains. Relocation of water and sewer pipe, street tree removal, and replacement and resurfacing of all streets continues within the project area.
The $4.8 million project is funded with Redevelopment and Community Development Block Grant funds.
"The current state of the project reflects a completion level of approximately 55 percent," says Public Works Director Steve Forster. "The third phase of improvements is being finalized and should be ready to bid by the time Phase 2 is complete by spring 2012."
Work currently in progress includes reconstruction of Marquardt Avenue, and parkway landscape repairs. Work south of Foster Road is expected to begin in the beginning of next year, however, with recent developing news regarding redevelopment agencies being eliminated by the state, this final phase could be in jeopardy.
For more information, call Public Works at (562) 902-2385.
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