Things To Do: Last chance to see "Beauty and the Beast' on stage, and family nights at Splash! La Mirada

Last chance to see Beauty and the Beast

This weekend is your last chance to see the highly-acclaimed  'Beauty and the Beast'  live on stage at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts as the 2018-19 season Broadway series from McCoy-Rigby Entertainment closes out.

Good seats are still available for the five remaining shows including matinees and evening performance on Friday and Saturday with the final show on Sunday.

McCoy Rigby will launch their 2019-20 season with the first of five productions on September 20, with 'Grumpy Old Men: The Musical. 

Season tickets for the 2019-20 season go on sale July 15.

For additional information or online ticket sales click on this link.




It's a Pirate's Party at Buccaneer Bay Friday Family Night


Each Friday evening through August 2nd, Buccaneer Bay at Splash! La Mirada Aquatics Park invites you to come and enjoy a special night of family fun featuring a new theme each week.

This week's theme is a Pirate's Party night from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $18 and free for season pass holders. 

For more information contact Splash! at 562) 902-3191 or go to their website at splashlamirada.com

Things To Do: La Mirada concert in the park and night market

La Mirada- The city's annual summer concert series and Night Market

Source: City of La Mirada

continues this evening and continuing each Thursday through August 8, 2019, except on July 4th there will be no show due to the holiday.

Tonight Salsa and Latin themed music will be performed by Salsa Caliente a Los Angeles based group featuring vocalist Alberto Gonzalez and musicians from around the globe beginning at 6:30 p.m. at La Mirada County Regional Park.

The park is located at 13701 Adelfa Drive.

The market also returns for its second year with vendors selling prepared food, produce and crafts  The market starts in advance of the concert each week at 4 p.m. continuing until 8:30 p.m.

The entire concert series schedule can be found at http://www.cityoflamirada.org/home/showdocument?id=14106

Monte Vista High grad made sure no Mustang will be forgotten

Patty Gray, Class of 77 and Jay Dee Wise, class of 75
pictured with the MVHS Memorial Tree in 2014

La Mirada- The last thing 
Patty Gray could have imagined when she learned of the passing of a friend is that her need to honor the memory of a close friend would launch a tradition that brings hundreds together each year to remember alumni from her former Alma Mater.

Gray wanted to remember Ray Kirby, a lifelong friend who passed away in 2014 in a special way and after praying she came up with the idea of planting a tree in his memory.

Kirby and Gray were both students at Monte Vista High School in South Whittier during the 1970s, at a time when Creek Park was a popular spot for kids that went to the school and it is here where Gray thought it would be perfect to plant that tree.

Jay Dee Wise (Jay), also an alumnus of Monte Vista liked Conrad's idea so much that he took the lead in all that needed to be done at City Hall obtaining the approval the approvals that would be needed to proceed.

In the meantime, Gray had gone to work on another project to begin a yearly memorial to remember each former student, faculty and staff member that had passed away over the past year.  followed by a reunion for all classes.

With the oak tree finally in place, on June 22, 2014 a modest group of about 50 gathered on a grassy slope to remember friends and faculty 

Each year the number of people attending has grown reaching about 300 last year including four former faculty members that come from all over the country to attend.  Event organizers are hoping for an even bigger turnout this year.

What: 6th Annual 2019 Monte Vista High School Memorial and all Classes Reunion.

When:  Saturday, June 22, 2019

Where: 

The Memorial 1:00 p.m. La Mirada Creek Park 12021 Santa Gertrudes Ave. On the sloping lawn near the Santa Gertrudes parking lot.  This year's Memorial will feature a candlelight vigil that will see a candle lit in honor of each departed Mustang as their name is read.

All Classes Reunion  3:30 p.m.  Bigs in Fullerton 323 N State College Blvd. (Between Chapman and Nutwood, just off the 57 Freeway)

Dramatic overnight rescue frees victim from wreckage after box truck plows into tanker truck

Source: La Mirada NewsBeat phoo

La Mirada-  The driver of a delivery box truck transported in critical condition to a local trauma center after being freed during a dramatic rescue effort overnight after the box truck collided with and became wedged under a tanker truck carrying liquid nitrogen.

The collision occurred when the box truck traveling north on Valley View Ave hit the side of the tanker that was pulling out from a driveway on the east side of the street at about 12:15 a.m. just south of Stage Rd.

Firefighters first on the scene determined that this would not be a typical traffic accident, and put in a call for additional resources including the ladder truck from Station 15 on Santa Gertrudes Ave and Urban Search and Rescue Team 103 in Pico Rivera to respond with the heavy rescue wrecker that would be needed for the first of a two-part rescue.

The force of the collision, as well as the weight of the tanker sitting on top of the crumpled cab of the box truck, prevented firefighters from reaching the victim trapped inside.

The rescue team used the wrecker to carefully pull the trapped box truck from underneath the tanker, then part two of the rescue began.

After the vehicle was dislodged from under the tanker truck, firefighters cut apart the crumpled box truck in order to free the victim who was taken to the trauma unit at UCI Medical Center in Orange about 1;30 a.m. after being trapped for well over an hour.

Several units from the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department were also at the scene assisting with the rescue effort and Whittier PD assisted deputies with the task of closing the street from Stage Rd and Gannet St for just over two hours.

The nitrogen in the tanker was never thought to be in danger of leaking during the incident, and its driver was uninjured in the crash.

The accident is still under investigation by Sheriffs officials.

This final photo is from LASD/Norwalk Facebook, photos above are La Mirada NewsBeat photos.

Local deputies recognized for drunk/drugged driving enforcement efforts

Source: LASD/Norwalk

Four local deputies and a sergeant from Norwalk Sheriff's Station were honored earlier this evening at an awards ceremony recognizing their efforts enforcing drunk and drugged driving laws on area roadways. 

The five receiving honors for exemplary performance by Mothers Against Drunk Driver (MADD) at tonight's Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff's (ALADS) Awards Banquet were Sergeant C. Hinojosa, and Deputies S. Sass, A. Ballesteros, R. Nazaroff, and C. Conger.

Deputy Nazaroff is currently assigned to the La Mirada night DUI enforcement car and Deputy Ballesteros is a traffic investigator that works on incidents occurring in both La Mirada and Norwalk.  

2019- 6th annual Monte Vista High Memorial and Reunion to be held June 22

La Mirada- 

Former Alumni of Monte Vista High School in Whittier, California of all graduation classes are invited to attend two special events on June 22.

The 6th annual Monte Vista All-Class Memorial and Reunion kicks off at La Mirada Creek Park at 12021 Santa Gertrudes Av. in La Mirada at 1 p.m. 

 Attendees will gather near the end of the Santa Gertrudes parking lot and then proceed to a special unmarked tree nearby to remember the more than 60 former students that have departed over the past year. 

The tree was planted as a symbol keeping the memory of departed classmates alive and only became reality after two former alumni, Patty Gray and JD Wise fought through months of red tape before finally getting the nod from City Hall.  to create what has now become a special gathering point for hundreds of people each year,

Not only is the area around the Memorial Tree a place to remember, it has also become a place special to hundreds of alumni that gather here each year to catch up with old friends.

Last year about 300 attended this special event including four former teachers.

You can view a video of the 2016 Memorial on Facebook by clicking here

A reunion in Fullerton will be held after the memorial at Bigs in Fullerton at 323 N State College Blvd.  Bigs is located just off the 57 Freeway, use the Chapman Ave exit.

The organizers have secured a great room rate at the  Fullerton Marriott at CSU, located less than a mile from the venue hosting the reunion at a special Alumni-only rate of $129 a night good for any night starting Weds. June 19, through Tues. June 25.  A check today of the best available online rate to the public booking 7-days in advance is $161 a night.

To get this special room rate you must act fast. You must secure your room by this Friday, June 7th, to get the special rate. To get this special Monte Vista alumni rate click on this link.

The Fullerton Marriott is located just west of the 57 freeway at 2701 E. Nutwood Ave and is close to a number of restaurants and is also close to area attractions offering only a 10 minutes drive to reach both the Disneyland Resort area and thriving Old Town Orange, and five minutes away from one of the best nightspots around, Downtown Fullerton.

Creek Park Memorial parking tips.

Additional parking can be found near the memorial site on Golden Lantern Lane on the north side of the park by continuing northbound on Santa Gertrudes Ave. 1/4 mile past the park to Lemon Dr, making a left turn. Make another left at the first street onto Kibbee Ave which will take you to the park. The event will be just across the creek from where Kibbee ends at the park. 

You can also enter 12099 Kibbee Avenue as a destination on a mapping app.

Additional parking can also be found a short walk away near the old Charles T. Samuel School off Imperial Hwy near the intersection of La Pomelo Av and Surrey Ln where you will also find a greenbelt at the corner that will lead you into the park. Take the stairs down the hill, then take a right onto the sidewalk going uphill to the area near the parking lot.

Entering 15699 Surrey Lane on a mapping app will lead you to this spot.

Additional street parking can also be found on Silvergrove Dr east of Santa Gertrudes, in a residential area behind the Savers thrift store. A recently installed traffic signal will allow you to cross Santa Gertrudes Ave. safely.

For more information on either event, follow this link to the MVHS Alumni Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1025264044338716/

The Monte Vista Alumni group Facebook page can be found at this link

Light pole toppled during morning accident on La Mirada Blvd.

Photos by La Mirada NewsBeat

La Mirada-  Both lanes of northbound traffic on La Mirada Blvd at Rosecrans Ave was closed for a short time during the morning commute today after a center median light pole fell into the street when two cars collided shortly before 7 a.m.  

No one was injured in the collision at La Mirada Blvd and Badlona Dr after one of two cars that had collided in the intersection was sent careening out of control into the pole, sending it crashing to the ground leaving the pole and debris into both northbound lanes as well as one of the southbound lanes too.

One of the northbound lanes was reopened after the debris from the light pole was cleared from most of the curb lane allowing traffic to resume moving past the accident scene slowly.

Traffic remained restricted to one lane of travel in each direction on La Mirada Blvd after the accident was cleared due to the ongoing work is occurring along that stretch of roadway replacing the center median landscaping.

Photos released of suspects that shot and killed a La Mirada man

 Dennis Anthony Bracamonte seen in this undated photo.
Source-Facebook

Tue June, 4 

Detectives have released photos of two men sought in connection with last Friday's shooting that killed a La Mirada man and injured three others at a West Covina flyer party.

The shooting that killed Dennis Anthony Bracamonte, 18, occurred shortly after a fight broke out involving Bracamonte and several others in the rear yard of a home in the 300 block of Willow Ave, in the northern section of the city.

Bracamonte's 16-year-old brother was reportedly one of the three others that were also injured in the shooting.  All three survivors sustained injuries deemed to not be life-threatening.

About 30 mostly teens were at the home rented for one day through Airbnb for the purpose of holding the flyer party that charged admission and made 'nos', better known as nitrous oxide, or laughing gas available to partygoers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500

A complete summary and update can also be found at the KTLA.com by following this link

At the end of this post, a chronological archive of media coverage of the crime can be found.

An image of one of the suspected shooters from
last Friday's incident
Courtesy:LASD/Homicide Bureau

This is the second man suspected in Friday's shooting.
Photo Courtesy: LASD/Homicide

For further information on last Friday's tragic events in West Covina archived coverage from several sources can be seen below.

KTLA's early coverage of the incident from Sat June 1

Reaction from family, and party attendees from KNBC dated Sat June 1.

KTLA coverage of the vigil outside the West Covina home where the shooting occurred from Sun. June 2

KTLA coverage of Monday's developments in the investigation. Dated June 3.

La Mirada man killed, 3 more injured in West Covina shooting

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office announced late Saturday that a La Mirada teen was the man shot and killed while attending an alleged 'noz' party in West Covina Friday night.

The victim was identified as Dennis Anthony Bracamonte, 18, died in the shooting that also sent three others to local hospitals at a home where the use of 'nitrous oxide' aka laughing gas was being used according to a KTLA report.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau is leading the investigation.

All the details can be found at this link at KTLA.com

https://ktla.com/2019/06/01/1-killed-3-hurt-in-shooting-at-suspected-drug-party-in-west-covina/

KNBC has posted a very compelling video with reaction from Mr Bracamonte's aunt,  statements from several teens that were at the party as well as video just moments after the shooting of teens fleeing from the home.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Shooting-in-West-Covina-Leaves-One-Man-Dead-510706761.html