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.
Natalie Wachen Returns to La Mirada to Teach Musical Theatre and TV/Film Classes This Summer
STAR OF HBO’S BOARDWALK EMPIRE, RENT WILL INSTRUCT THE THEATRE TROUPE SHE GREW UP WITH, IN THE CITY SHE WAS RAISED IN; PHANTOM PROJECTS ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE SERIES OF CLASSES: AGES 10+ INCLUDING A SUMMER OF SHAKESPEARE, DANCE, TV/FILM, MUSICAL THEATRE, AND MORE.
La Mirada~Before joining the cast of Martin Scorsese’s Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning HBO series BOARDWALK EMPIRE, and before starring as Mimi Marquez in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway revival of RENT, Natalie Wachen was a member of the La Mirada-based Phantom Projects Theatre Group. Now, Ms. Wachen returns not as an actress and director, but as a teacher.
“Each year, the most frequent requests we receive from our audiences, are for classes. Now, we’re answering that request in a very big way. We’re making it possible for every young person to learn, whether it’s acting, dancing, singing, getting a better understanding of Shakespeare, or even if they’ve never even stepped on stage before. Having Natalie return and join our roster of wonderful teachers and working professionals is a huge asset for our new and returning students,” commented Phantom Projects’ Producing Artistic Director Steve Cisneros.
Fire on Gandesa Appears to Have Destroyed Home
|
| Photo sent in by a La Mirada Blog follower on Twitter shows flames coming out of home on Gandesa Road last night. |
La Mirada~A fire broke out last night at a home on Gandesa Road in La Mirada.
We originally reported the blaze at 9:03 p.m. on our Twitter feed.
Firefighters knocked the blaze down within an hour.
La Mirada Blog Twitter followers on Los Fuentes reported embers falling in their yards.
We have an unconfirmed report from another follower that the owner of the house that caught on fire was out of town.
That is all we have at this time. If more pertinent information becomes available we will update here, within this article.
See a photo of the home in the next day's aftermath here.
See a short video clip of the incident here.
050514 21:49 UPDATE: Homeowner was home at time of fire and is OK, her roommate was out of town.
OBITUARY: Long Time La Mirada Resident Florence Robertson
Florence Theresa Robertson resident of La Mirada; born September 22, 1925 in Sommerville, Mass. passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on March 26, 2014. God has prepared a room in his mansion for her with all her loved ones and friends who have gone on before. She is preceded in death by her parents: Walter and Florence Crowley, sons: baby twins, Kenneth and Patrick, Dale Robertson, Gary Robertson and daughter-in-law: Frances Price-Robertson. Florence was survived by her beloved children: Robert Dyess, James (Imajean) Robertson, Donna (George) Peterson, and Linda Chappie, daughter-in-law: Cheryl Robertson, grandchildren: Lisa (John) LaBartunek, Robert (Daisy) Peterson, Steve (Sarah) Robertson, Kelly Peterson, Kathryn Robertson, Brian Peterson, Janet Peterson, Diana (Tony) Ramos, Jackie Stephens, Jerry Robertson, April Peterson, Ben Chappie, and 18 great grandchildren. A sister-in-law: Dorothy Lowe, nephew: Rick (Patty) Dinnerville, nieces: Susan Pyle and Sharon Robinson and their families. One of her many accomplishments was the ability to make friends wherever she went; and it was natural for her to treat everyone with equality, respect and kindness. She had a loving soul and was a writer of inspiring poetry. She had many long and lasting friendships with people who loved her, she will be remembered in our hearts always and deeply missed. A memorial service was held April 25th.
