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LA MIRADA THEATRE WINS BIG AT L.A. OVATION AWARDS
LA MIRADA, CA., NOVEMBER 8, 2013
VOL. 2, NO. 16
ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILL AT LOS CERRITOS CENTER Walmart Neighborhood
Market Celebrates Grand Opening at Crossroads Shopping Center
By Brian Hews The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts took home three awards during the 24th Annual LA Ovation Awards ceremony on Nov. 3 at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. La Mirada Theatre won the award for Best Season for its 2012-13 season featuring productions of Boeing Boeing, Jekyll & Hyde, Next to Normal, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Spring Awakening. Brian Kite, producing artistic director for the La Mirada Theatre, earned the award for Best Director of a Musical for his production of Spring Awakening, while Beth Malone earned the award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her role as Milly in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. “We are honored to receive this
See LA MIRADA THEATER page 8
La Mirada Hosting Veterans Observance Event on Nov. 11
By Randy Economy
Members of the Los Angele County Sheriff’s Department held an “active shooter drill” last Tuesday at the Los Cerritos Center. In a statement to members of the media, Captain Keith Swensson said that Los Cerritos Center “is one of the safest retail establishments in Southern California. To continue safe practices, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Cerritos Sheriff’s Station is conducting emergency preparedness training will mall personnel.” The exercise took place from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM. The event involved personnel from Cerritos, Lakewood, Norwalk and Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Stations. In addition, the Cerritos Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), mall security and store personnel will participate. Swensson said the training “simulated a tactical emergency at a mall where deputies and fire personnel can respond and take immediate action to preserve life and property.”
See VETERANS page 8
See WALMART page 8
La Mirada’s Annual Holiday Toy & Food Drive Underway
La Mirada’s Youth in Government Get to Work
By RIco Dizon The City of La Mirada will host a Salute to Veterans event on Monday, Nov. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. The event will honor the many heroic men and women in the armed forces who have served our nation throughout history, with special recognition of La Mirada service members. The event will feature a patriotic presentation consisting of the posting of the Nation’s colors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9148, a military vehicle display, and special guest speaker Norbie Lara of the Wounded Warrior Project, who proudly served in the U.S. Army for
Walmart Neighborhood Market opened for business on Wednesday morning during the store’s official grand opening at the Crossroads Shopping Center in La Mirada. The new, 35,000 square foot store hosts a full grocery department, including organic and natural selections, in addition to a self-serve deli and a bakery. The store also has a pharmacy for prescription pickups and other health products. As part of the grand opening celebration, Walmart presented $7,000 in grants to several local organizations, including Gardenhill Elementary School, La Mirada High School, La Mirada Community Foundation, La Mirada Symphony, and
La Mirada Mayor Steve De Ruse (right) talks with Youth in Government Mayor Sam Khattar (left) during a Youth in Government dinner meeting at City Hall on Oct. 22. Story on page 8.
Help those in need this holiday season during La Mirada’s annual Holiday Toy & Food Drive. Through Dec. 16, donations of new, unwrapped toys and nonperishable food items will be collected at the following City facilities: Activity Center, Resource Center, Community Gymnasium, Community Sheriff’s Station, Splash! and at City Hall. Donations will help provide holiday food boxes for La Mirada families in need this holiday season. Donated items will be distributed to the following local organizations: Beatitudes of Our Lord, La Mirada Volunteer Center, St. Paul of the Cross, and Interfaith Food Center. For more information, call (562) 9023160.
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8/16/2011 10:16:36 AM
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LA MIRADA THEATER
Continued from page 1 recognition from the Los Angeles theatre community,” said Kite. “These awards speak to all the hard work everyone involved with the La Mirada Theatre puts into our productions.” Hosted by the LA Stage Alliance, the Ovation Awards are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles, created to recognize excellence in theatrical performance, production and design throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. This year’s ceremony was hosted by actor Michael McKean, with celebrity guest presenters including Ed Begley, Jr., Val Kilmer, Cathy Rigby, Steven Weber, Susan Sullivan and Keith David among others. “The Ovation Awards highlight the world-class artistry happening each night on Los Angeles’ stages,” said LA Stage Alliance CEO Terence McFarland. “This annual celebration brings together our diverse community to acknowledge not only the very best in design, performance and production, but also to unite our theatre-rich region and many of our numerous theatre families.” La Mirada Theatre’s 2013-14 season is now underway. Subscriptions and individual tickets are available for Rabbit Hole, God of Carnage, Cats, and Les Misérables by calling the box office at (562) 944-9801 or online at lamiradatheatre.com. La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard.
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WALMART
Continued from page 1 the Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority (SASSFA). “We are really excited to be a part of this great community,” said Store Manager David White. “I have a great team of about 65 associates who have been working hard to get this store ready for La Mirada shoppers. We look forward to giving the community a great shopping experience along with providing them everday low prices.” Walmart’s announcement this past July to bring a Walmart Neighborhood Market to the Crossroads Shopping Center was seen as a major step forward for the local business community. The announcement coincided with other improvements to the shopping center, including additional tenants, building façade improvements, and new signage and parking lot. “Walmart has made a major investment in our community and is helping to modernize a shopping center that had underperformed for a number of years,” said La Mirada Mayor Steve De Ruse. “The new jobs and expanded shopping opportunities are welcome additions to our city.” The opening day festivities will continue on Saturday, Nov. 9, as Walmart invites the La Mirada community to its Big Family Welcome event where residents will have the opportunity to enjoy fun family activities such as face painting, cupcake decorating, and free food samples while supplies last. The celebration will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Walmart Neighborhood Market is located at 14865 Telegraph Road.
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La Mirada’s Youth in Government Get to Work By Randy Economy La Mirada’s Youth in Government program got underway on Oct. 22 as this year’s class of participating high school students gathered at City Hall for a dinner meeting with their City Council and staff counterparts. The program, which is sponsored by the City of La Mirada and La Mirada Ebell, provides an in-depth opportunity for La Mirada High School students to learn about local government, develop their leadership skills and participate in the community. For four months, the students will serve as mock City Council members and staff while preparing presentations on ideas for City services and programs. During this time, they will have the opportunity to volunteer at City events and will be visiting with County Supervisor Don Knabe’s office in February. At the dinner meeting, students got the chance to discuss school and career goals with their staff counterparts, while learning about their roles at the City. Students also shared their thoughts and expectations for the coming months. Youth in Government Mayor Sam Khattar, who participated in the program last year also, said he was looking forward to seeing this year’s proposals after having taken part in the process in 2012. “We came up with some good proposals last year, including a service request application for smart phones, so it will be interesting to hear this year’s presentations and see what types of services are discussed,” he said. Samantha Scovel, a senior at La Mirada High School, is participating in the program for the first time and is serving as City Manager. Scovel says she was
drawn to the program because it seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about local government and practice her leadership and public speaking skills. “I’m really looking forward to working with my fellow Youth in Government colleagues, learning more about all the staff positions at the City and their duties, and presenting our final reports in front of the City Council,” she said. Past Youth in Government classes have developed proposals for modifications to the Community Library, building additional City facilities such as the La Mirada Community Gymnasium, which was built in 1997, and improvements to City parks. “This program is a great way for younger residents to get involved in the community and provide their input on City services,” says Community Services Supervisor Oliver Osuna, who helps coordinate the Youth in Government program. “The students work hard to develop ideas that would benefit the City and we enjoy the opportunity to get to know them and hear their proposals.” Youth in Government will present their final reports at the Feb. 25 City Council meeting. VETERANS from page 1 11 and a half years. Local veterans will also be present to share their stories and service memorabilia. The event is free and open to the public. Students are encouraged to attend and hear first-hand stories from our local heroes. The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard. For more information, call (562) 943-7277.
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Wild Chase Goes Through Cerritos, Ends in Death of Suspect on Jackson Street in Paramount By Randy Economy A police chase that dramatically travelled through Cerritos Halloween night resulted in the death of the suspect after a standoff with law enforcement for several hours on a residential street several miles away in Paramount. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau detectives were continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deputy-involved shooting, which took place on the 7400 block of Jackson Street. On Thursday, October 31, 2013, minutes before 11:00 P.M., a deputy assigned to Lakewood Sheriff’s Station conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle for a traffic violation. As the lone deputy approached the vehicle, the suspect, who was the driver, pointed a handgun at the deputy and sped away. The deputy broadcast the incident and vehicle information to other deputies via radio. A short time later, a deputy assigned to Cerritos Sheriff’s Station located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop near the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Bloomfield Avenue. According to a spokesperson of the LA County Sheriff’s, the suspect vehicle
refused to yield and a pursuit ensued, travelling through numerous cities, by street and highway, assisted by California Highway Patrol personnel. “During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle entered and exited the highway, and stopped and restarted driving several times. At one of the stops, the driver allowed three passengers to exit the vehicle, then fled again,” a sheriff’s spokesperson said in a statement. Deputies deployed spike strips, disabled the vehicle and contained it. The suspect refused to comply with deputies’ orders to exit the vehicle, thus becoming barricaded inside. Special Enforcement Bureau a n d Crisis Negotiation Team members responded and established communication with the suspect. After much discussion, the suspect eventually exited the vehicle, pointed his handgun at a deputy and a deputy involved shooting occurred. Several television news stations in Southern California aired the pursuit for more than two hours on Thursday night and into Friday morning. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The name of the suspect has not been released by law enforcement officials. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
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