La Mirada Resident to Walk 39.3 Miles in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
La Mirada~Tammy Ostrowski of La Mirada will join thousands of women and men in the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Santa Barbara, raising funds and awareness that will help defeat breast cancer and support those facing the disease. She is on the team The Pink Ribbon Gemz and together they will participate in the non-competitive event. Each walker will complete a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over the weekend of September 6-7th.
“Every year, thanks to thousands of participants like Tammy, we are able to save lives by providing significant funds for vital breast cancer research as well as access to care, screening, support services and education,” said Carol Kurzig, president of the Avon Foundation for Women, the public charity that produces the events. “For the past decade, tens of thousands of dedicated women and men took personal action to help others through the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. We are truly inspired by our participants’ passion and enthusiasm.”
The Avon Walk Santa Barbara is one of eight weekend walks taking place in 2014. The complete 2014 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer schedule includes: Houston (April 12-13), Washington, DC (May 3-4), Boston (May 17-18), Chicago (May 31 -June 1), San Francisco (July 12-13), Santa Barbara, Calif. (September 6-7), New York City, (October 18-19), and Charlotte, N.C. (October 25-26).
Tammy was inspired to take part in the Avon Walk Santa Barbara because she wanted to make a difference, “This will be my 3rd year walking and the first year with The Pink Ribbon Gemz. The first year was to challenge myself and I walked every bit of the 39.3 miles. I was so inspired by hearing all the stories from people walking and cheering us on I knew I would be walking again and again and again, for as long as I’m able.
As I prepared for my second Avon walk I learned several women I knew (Baseball mom, my sons first grade teacher, Girl Scout mom) was fighting this disease. I was even more determined to walk and raise awareness and funds needed to help in the fight against breast cancer. This year I am not walking alone I am proud to be a part of The Pink Ribbon Gemz team and I’m walking for all the girls in my life.”
BREAKING: Benton Middle School Students Involved in Bus Incident in Connecticut
Photo sent in by LM Blog fan Meshel who's daughter was aboard the bus involved. |
UPDATE 19:21 060214: An email obtained by the La Mirada Blog sent by one of the teachers on the bus to parents in La Mirada indicated that the accident occurred while the group was traveling from Boston to New York.
The email states: "One of the buses was rear ended in a construction zone where we were traveling 5 - 10 miles an hour by an 18-wheeler truck. No one has reported serious injury as there was minimal damage to the bus. Per standard procedure highway patrol was called to access the situation and ensure that all students and parents aboard were ok. Everyone on board was asked to provide their name, address, phone number, and birth date to the highway patrol for any follow-up that may need to take place."
Southbury, CT~The La Mirada Blog has received reports that students and staff from Benton
Exclusive photo sent in by LM Blog fan shows Benton student being loaded into emergency vehicle earlier today in Connecticut. |
Middle School in La Mirada were involved in a minor traffic incident with a tractor trailer earlier today while on a field trip in Connecticut, ultimately on their way to New York and Washington D.C.
Our sources tell us three adults and up to ten students were temporarily hospitalized as a precautionary measure and are now released.
copyright La Mirada Blog 2014
Dulles Elementary K-Kids Host 1st Annual Family Fitness Night & Lupus Awareness Fundraiser
La Mirada~The Dulles Elementary K-Kids Club is hosting a Family Fitness Night & Lupus Awareness fundraiser Tuesday June 3rd from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the school site located at 12726 Meadow Green Road in La Mirada.
This will be the clubs grand finale event of the year and guest speakers include Leo Santa Cruz, WBC World Bantam Weight Champion, Robert Santa Cruz former boxer, now fighting Lupus, & Laurie Gray, from the Lupus Foundation of America.
Leo and Robert will be honoring the K-Kids with their certificates of completion as a surprise at the end of the presentation.
The K-Kids will MC the event and engage the audiences with music, cheer, and dance. There will be food, games, booths, and additional speakers from Cerritos College and the Norwalk/La Mirada School District. There will also belive training demonstrations from Team Santa Cruz and Jitsu studio.
NLMUSD Superintendent Guest Speaker at Chamber Breakfast
La Mirada~The Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez will be the guest speaker at the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce Monthly Tuesday Breakfast, June 3rd from 8:00-9:30 a.m.
The breakfast will be held at The Green Chile Restaurant, 13926 Imperial Highway in La Mirada.
Dr. Perez will also have a school district staff member accompanying her to discuss the district bid process for local small businesses in the area.
La Mirada Mayor Larry Mowles is also expected to be in attendance.
The cost is $15.00 for chamber members and $20.00 for non-members.
Fire Engulfs Santa Fe Springs Cardboard Recycling Plant
A fire truck stands guard at the south side of Pan Pacific Fiber, Inc Recycling, adjacent to the BNSF Railroad tracks, in Santa Fe Springs early Thursday evening as a fire rages out of control within the plant. Photo Joseph Flores |
NEW RAW VIDEO 19:11 053014: Just released footage of the scene moments after fire began, as first responders arrived here.
UPDATE 22:31 052914: The fire continues to burn at this hour, although contained. The recycling center appears to deal exclusively with cardboard with hundreds of bales weighing two tons each stacked on top of each other.
Burning at this hour is cardboard stored inside the buildings on the property, the Santa Fe Springs Fire Chief Mike Crook told the La Mirada Blog at the scene.
This raises questions as to if the cardboard was stored illegally on the site.
The La Mirada Blog was on the scene moments after the fire started and we reported that the Downey Fire Department assisted with the fire.
Crook told us, along with Downey, fire departments from Vernon, Compton, L.A. County, La Habra Heights, and Montebello also assisted.
"We are going to be here all night," said Crook, "we're going to have overhaul it, possibly bring in a bulldozer, we have a lot of work ahead of us."
Santa Fe Springs~An enormous fire broke out this evening engulfing the Pan Pacific Fiber Inc. recycling center located at 14013 Marquardt Avenue in Santa Fe Springs along the border of La Mirada.
It is unclear at this time what started the fire. No injuries are reported at this time.
As of 8:00 p.m. firefighters form the Santa Fe Springs, L.A. County, Compton and Downey continue to battle the blaze.
Check our Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/lamiradablog for exclusive information and photos.
We will have further as it becomes available.
RESTAURANT REVIEW: The New Dami Sushi and Isakaya Stays Open Late For Dinner
Buena Park~I wouldn’t consider myself a food critic or reviewer and I am certainly no food expert, but I recently had a chance to visit a new place to eat in town and I thought I would provide my feedback.
Dami Sushi and Isakaya is located at the Village Circle on Beach, the new shopping center at the intersection of and Beach Boulevard, where La Mirada Boulevard meets Malvern Avenue -just a stone’s throw from the La Mirada city limits.
The shopping center was constructed on the site of the old Big T Golf Course and Big T Burgers-two iconic establishments that will be forever be etched in the nostalgic minds of anyone who lived in and around old La Mirada.
Today, the new shopping center is primarily Asian influenced, serving the multi-cultural population in the East La Mirada and North Buena Park area.
Dami has been open a little over two months and recently the La Mirada Blog was invited, along with other media outlets, to attend a press sampling and reception at the eatery.
My ignorance and lack of preparation showed as I thought out loud that the word isakaya was a type of egg roll or dish. Yeah, I know, go ahead and laugh.
I quickly learned from a Dami staff member that in Japan, an isakaya is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. They are casual places for after-work drinking. In other words, like a pub or tavern.
An isakaya is also similar to a lot of well-known American restaurants that also serve as drinking establishments, yet an isakaya is more intimate and local.
Dami co-owner Brandon Lee sat down with us for a quick visit and told us he is well aware of the large Korean population in the area and wants to “break the mold” of the traditional Japanese restaurant and he said that Dami wants to “serve the community’s needs.”
Thus, the Dami menu features a mixture of Japanese and Korean dishes along many unique fusion meals of the two cultures. I guarantee you will find a dish at Dami you have never seen anywhere else.
AMBIANCE: The restaurant has open ceilings and a very spacious modern interior giving it that un-cramped feeling, which I like. There is a balance of industrial and wood finishes along with simple Japanese design concepts. It features a brightly-lit sushi and oyster bar along with three 55-inch televisions and two 45-inchers.
Lee quickly got my attention when he mentioned what I think is one of the most appealing facts about Dami. He told me that after 9:30 p.m. a 180-inch projection screen descends from the ceiling, the lights dim and the sound system gets a little louder. He said the large screen will be showing whatever the hottest sports game or event of the night is.
NLMUSD Schools Dominate at Orange County Pentathlon
Norwalk/La Mirada~Students in the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade represented Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District and brought home several medals and placed in their divisions at the annual Orange County Academic Pentathlon, where students throughout the region were tested in their essay, language arts, science and math skills.
Corvallis Middle School eighth-graders placed second in their division with Benton and Hutchinson teams taking the third- through-sixth-place spots. Teams from Los Alisos, Los Coyotes and Waite also placed in their divisions.
Matadores Advance With Victory Over Pasadena
La Mirada~Blake Wilson scattered seven hits over seven innings for a complete-game victory as the La Mirada High baseball team advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Divison 2 playoffs, beating Pasadena 4-2 earlier today in a sloppy defensive contest at La Mirada High.
Pasadena starter Niko Lopez was the victim as his team committed at least four errors leading to three of La Mirada's runs being unearned. La Mirada also committed at least two errors.
The Bulldogs had three of their seven hits in the seventh inning and had the go-ahead run at the plate, but Wilson was able to shut the door.
Justin Knight and Wilson each had an RBI apiece for La Mirada.
Pasadena seemed to run themselves out of innings; twice having a runner thrown out at third on grounders to the shortstop with a force play not being in effect and less than two outs.
The Matadores will now move on to play Glendora in the second round Tuesday at 3:15.
Long-time Matadore head coach Kim Brooks was absent, still suspended by the Norwalk-La Mirada School District after a curse-laden motivational recording of him from a few weeks ago, directed at his team, was released to the media by a still unknown source.
Third base coach and former La Mirada player Jimmy Zurn will coach the team while the district continues its investigation into the incident.
La Mirada High Athletic Director Suspended After Tirade
La Mirada High baseball coach Kim Brooks has been placed on administrative leave by the NLMUSD. photo courtesy Deadspin |
La Mirada~La Mirada High Athletic Director and head baseball coach Kim Brooks has been suspended by the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District after an audio recording surfaced of him cursing at his players according to NBC4/LA and the Whittier Daily News.
Reportedly, the audio clip was recorded by an unidentified La Mirada player.
In the recording Brooks could be heard using the f-bomb at least a dozen times.
Brooks, who is also a social science teacher at the school was pulled from his classroom Tuesday morning as an investigation is now underway.
A high-ranking source within the school district has told the La Mirada Blog that "it is highly improbable he would return" to his AD post at the school.
Brooks will not be in the dugout for the teams first-round CIF playoff game tomorrow against Pasadena. It is expected coach Jimmy Zurn will be at the helm for the game.
Listen to the audio clip of the lambasting here.
Read comments and reaction from the community on our Facebook feed here and our Twitter feed here.
We will report more about this incident as it is learned.
20th Annual “4 La Mirada Kids Carnival” This Weekend at Benton
La Mirada~A fun-filled weekend of rides, food, and entertainment is fast approaching for the 20th Annual "4 La Mirada Kids" Community Carnival to be held at Benton Middle School.
The carnival features a variety of activities for the entire family and sees over 10,000 people pass through the gates for the food, rides and entertainment.
The initial concept of the carnival-to help local nonprofits and schools raise money for programs that benefit La Mirada kids-remains the same today.
Local non-profit groups including schools, sport leagues, and community organizations will be offering a variety of tasty food for sale and running game booths throughout the weekend.
Exciting rides and amusements will be offered for those seeking thrills. Gentler, kid-friendly rides for younger children will also be available.
Pre-sale ride ticket books can be obtained for $15 at most La Mirada schools and the La Mirada Resource Center until 3 p.m. on Friday, May 9th. Each booklet contains coupons for eight different rides, offering a substantial savings over purchasing ride tickets at the event.
Also, when you purchase your ride tickets ahead of time, a percentage of the pre-sale proceeds is returned to the local schools and organizations.
Entertainment this year will feature crowd-favorites the Squirettes, the Alohi Polynesian Dancers, George Simion and the Bombers, The Shakedown, Glory of Paradise, La Mirada High School Jazz Band, Benton Middle School Band, Gray Matter, the Groovetones, The Maunaloa Dancers, The Tuxedo Junction, Benton Varsity/JV Cheer and more including contests for kids.
Tony Aiello, founder of the La Mirada Blog Media Network will be the MC for the entertainment line-up for the entire weekend. Stop by the entertainment stage and pick up your free La Mirada Blog bumper sticker.
The La Mirada Community Foundation sponsors the carnival to raise funds for youth groups and community organizations that provide a variety of educational, cultural and extracurricular opportunities in La Mirada.
Carnival days and hours are Friday, May 9th, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, May 10th, 12-11 p.m.; and Sunday, May 11th, 1-6 p.m. For more information, call the La Mirada Community Services Department at (562) 943-7277.