The LAYB 12U All Star team won the St. Hedwig Baseball Tournament by outscoring its opponents 48-14 over 5 games. This was the 3rd consecutive tournament championship for the boys. The keys to victory were solid pitching, clutch hitting and excellent defense. The All Stars now head off to Districts this upcoming weekend in Santa Monica. Pictured, top row (left-right) Manager Chris Leveque, Luke Brennan, Manoah Faupusa, Matthew Leveque, Blake Waddle, Coach Bill Waddle, Ryan Soto and Coach Matt Hammond. Bottom row-Steel Kurtz, Andrew Hammond, Garrett Rodriguez, Shay Tipton, Dylan Lowenberg, Cameron Farmer and Nathan Mueller.
Cypress Chamber Reacts to Mitsubishi’s relocation announcement
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA), the fastest-growing Asian brand in the U.S. for the second consecutive year*, will relocate its headquarters from Cypress, California, to Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, the company announced this week.
The announcement brought an immediate condemnation of state policies from the Cypress Chamber, though they wished Mitsubishi well.
According to the statement, “the Cypress Chamber of Commerce is sad to see a longtime member and supporter leave Cypress and the state, but we wish them well.”
Further, the Chamber said, “this is more evidence that the State of California is falling down on its responsibilities to support a healthy business climate and is instead actively chasing our best business citizens was with their policies and practices.”
Nevertheless, Mitsubishi said the move is part of an ongoing plan to reinvent every aspect of Mitsubishi Motors in the U.S., from corporate leadership to dealer partners to every touchpoint in a customer’s relationship with their vehicle and will sharpen the company’s focus on future growth and innovation.
Since 1988, MMNA has been rooted in California — now Cypress, and Fountain Valley prior to that. This move will begin in August and be completed by the end of 2019, the company said in a statement.
MMNA’s move highlights efforts taken across the entire global landscape of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance to bring the companies closer together in key areas including procurement, development and cost efficiencies. The company chose Franklin as its new home because it allows MMNA to focus its efforts on company-wide reinvention and take advantage of the area’s vibrant technology skillset, all while realizing cost savings through the business-friendly work environment and proximity to sister company, Nissan.
While MMNA has seen an ongoing strengthening of the business for multiple years – six straight years of annual sales gains, the last two years now over 100,000 sales, and retaining its “fastest-growing Asian brand” title for the second year – it is the past 12 months that have seen the greatest changes across MMNA.
“Mitsubishi Motors is changing the way we go to market in the United States, and it is leading to a rebirth of the company,” said Fred Diaz, MMNA’s president and chief executive officer. “This is an exciting time for us, with a refreshed leadership team, new-look dealerships and redesigned and all-new vehicles. As we drive toward the future, this is the perfect time for us to move to a new home. While we say farewell to the Golden State with a heavy heart, we’re excited to say hello to Music City.”
There are nearly 200 people working in MMNA’s Cypress office. All corporate departments will be relocating, including sales, marketing, IT, human resources, communications, parts and service, product planning, dealer operations, finance and legal.
MMNA’s west coast parts distribution center (PDC), currently located on the existing headquarters campus, also will be relocating. MMNA is working with Nissan North America to establish its PDC in a newly constructed shared facility in Riverside, California — further proof of the streamlining and cost savings the Alliance partnership brings to Mitsubishi’s business.
Additionally, 25 employees representing the company’s Western Region operations will move to new offices elsewhere in Orange County, California.
No other Mitsubishi Motors facilities in the U.S. are affected, including Mitsubishi Research and Development North America (MRDA)’s R&D operations in Ann Arbor, Michigan and MRDA government relations operations in Washington, D.C.
“The reputation of Tennessee’s business climate and skilled workforce has attracted countless world-class businesses to our state. Over the years, Tennessee has become the epicenter of the Southeast’s thriving automotive sector, and I’m proud Mitsubishi Motors will call Franklin its U.S. home and bring 200 high-quality jobs to Middle Tennessee,” said Bill Lee, governor of the State of Tennessee.
Initially, MMNA will be transferring operations to a temporary office in Franklin. Beyond that, MMNA officials are working with representatives from commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, to identify the company’s permanent offices.
For more information on Mitsubishi Motors North America, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com.
Navy says sea turtles are in no danger
The U.S. Navy has prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Ammunition Pier and Turning Basin project. The Final EA includes the Navy’s evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of constructing a replacement ammunition pier, associated waterfront facilities, causeway, truck turnaround, and a new public navigation channel at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Seal Beach, California.
The Navy and NOAA were studying the sea turtles as part of a proposed $150 million naval project to relocate the base’s ammunition wharf. The reconfiguration would provide greater installation security and improve safety for private boaters and nearby communities. The 5,000-acre base is responsible for weapons storage, loading and maintenance for ships of the United States Pacific Fleet.
The threatened green turtles live and forage on eelgrass within the nearly 1,000-acre Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, the only such refuge on a military installation in the nation.
Based on data collected, the analysis presented in the EA, and coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, State Historic Preservation Office, California Coastal Commission (for coastal consistency determination), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Navy has determined that implementation of the Proposed Action would have no significant impacts on the quality of the human, natural, or cultural environment, or generate significant controversy. As a result, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.
The Navy proposes to construct a 1,100-foot by 125-foot replacement ammunition pier, associated waterfront facilities, causeway, truck turnaround, and public navigation channel. The project would include dredging for the proposed pier and ship turning basin, as well as for a new public navigation channel that would separate Navy ships from civilian boats traveling to and from Huntington Harbour.
The Final EA and Finding of No Significant Impact documents are available on the project website at https://SealBeachEA.com and at the following public libraries:
- Seal Beach/Mary Wilson Library
- Bay Shore Neighborhood Library
- Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library
- Westminster Branch Library
- Huntington Beach Central Library
The documents are also available upon request by contacting:
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest
Attention: Code EV25.TB
937 N. Harbor Drive
Building 1, 3rd Floor (Environmental)
San Diego, CA 92132
For more information, please visit the project website at https://SealBeachEA.com or contact the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Public Affairs Office at 562-626-7215.
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is the primary munitions installation for the Navy’s Pacific Fleet surface ships. The base has an outstanding record of safety throughout its more than 70 years in operation and is a vital national asset. Its primary role is to store and maintain Navy and Marine Corps munitions and load and unload Navy ships and larger Coast Guard vessels with the munitions they need to conduct their missions.
Los Al Robotics team puts robot on display
Prior to the end of the school year, a few hours after the school day, the Los Alamitos High School Robotics Team (aka. the Meme Team) was unloading a U-Haul truck at Dooley Elementary School in North Long Beach. From the trailer, they pull out the pieces of their display: a 20 ft long carpet, two wooden towers around the height of a soccer goal post, and their main piece: a detailed 120-pound robot—the culmination of the team’s six weeks of engineering. Two of the team members work behind a control panel, preparing the robot for its performance later that afternoon.
As the sun retreats and the lights flicker on, the sparse campus slowly sparks to life. Parents and students flood through the breezeways. The Dooley Elementary Science Fair has begun! The purpose of this event is to showcase the magic of STEM to the Title 1 school and to inspire the young students to deepen their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
Directed by a team member, the robot runs across the carpet, extends to twice its original height, and places a frisbee-like disk onto the top level of the wooden tower. The elementary students circle around and look on with awe. Some ask questions about the robot. Across the breezeway, another team member gives a controller to a Dooley student who has been patiently waiting in line. The older student quickly teaches the younger student how to drive a smaller-sized robot, and then gives full freedom to the young student to play with it. To the interested parents and students, the Meme Team explains the team’s activities and the purpose of their robot.
The Meme Team is a group of primarily self-taught Los Alamitos High School students who have acquired skills in computer programming, electrical and mechanical engineering, and CNC machining. Each year the team designs and builds a new robot to meet specific and challenging criteria established by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit public charity founded in 1989 to motivate young people to pursue STEM education and careers.
Throughout the year, the team must work on creating a team brand, writing a professional business plan, networking through outreach events, and securing funding. Then in just six weeks, under the guidance of their mentors, headed by Tamas Vejsz, the Meme Team designs their robot from the ground up, machines and assembles the parts, test runs, troubleshoots, and reiterates steps in this process as necessary. Though the engineering process may be tiring at times, members return to the team year after year for the adrenaline rush of competition day, when their robot goes head-to-head in the FIRST Robotics Competition against teams from across the country, and sometimes the globe! Who knew science can be so much fun?
For further information on the Los Alamitos High School Robotics “Meme Team,” please contact lo******@***il.com.
Leroy Mills to reveal details of secret military project at Cypress Chamber
Former Cypress Mayor and Retired Lt. Colonel Leroy Mills will be the guest speaker at the Cypress Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast Tuesday, July 9 at the Residence Inn by Marriott (4931 Katella Avenue, Los Alamitos) at 7:30 a.m. Leroy Mills will be sharing his unique, insider perspective in a now declassified government project that he describes as “Uncovering a Piece of Top-Secret U.S. History.” Attendees at the breakfast will learn the formerly untold story behind the classified, GAMBIT-3 (KH-8) photographic satellite that assisted our nation in winning the Cold War with Russia and mitigated the national consequences of Air Force pilot Francis Gary Powers’ CIA U-2 spy plane being shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960. Veteran Leroy Mills is a graduate of West Point (1964), was commissioned as an Air Force 2nd Lt. and spent the first 20 years of his career as Active Duty in the Air Force. The next 2 decades were spent serving with the Department of Defense as a photoscientist. Throughout his tenure at the D.O.D., nearly all his experience was working with top-secret satellite information. Reservations are recommended for the monthly breakfasts and can be made directly on the Cypress Chamber website at cypresschamber.org. For more information call 714 484-6015. Cost of the breakfast is $20 in advance or $25 for nonmembers or those who do not register in advance. Attendees are also encouraged to bring door prizes to promote their product or service. The programs include a meet and greet time, self-introductions, breakfast, speaker and a question and answer session if time permits.The Chamber breakfasts, which are open to the public, are held on the second Tuesday of every month.
Supt. Pulver seeking culture of collaboration and inclusion
Second of two parts.
While there is little or no debate regarding the demonstrated excellence of the Los Alamitos Unified School District, newly installed Supt. Dr. Andrew Pulver hopes to use collaboration and inclusion to not only enhance the system’s performance but create a caring, connected culture to broaden and deepen it.
Pulver said he plans to keep the system on its current path, yet he envisions many new ways to connect, communicate and educate students to elevate all students and enhance their opportunities in later life.
“I’m not so sure that we need to turn, I think we’re really on the right path,” said Pulver. “We’ve had really stable leadership with (former superintendent) Sherry Kropp so I think I bring another sense of stability in that respect but perhaps with a different style.”
“I really believe that public education is the great equalizer of society,” said Pulver, “and our job is to set the foundations so that when they move from us after 12th grade that their trajectory is unlimited. So that they have the best solid footing possible,” he added.
“We need to find ways to build more collaboration to give people more of a voice. It doesn’t mean that we will always agree and, sometimes, decisions will have to be made, but if people have a voice or a forum to at least hear their input, whether it be with their teachers or site principals, that’s a skill and goal I bring to the office,” said Pulver.
Pulver looks ahead to his tenure as superintendent with a eye toward serving the “true customers of our district,” which he says are the school sites, students and their parents. “We are here to serve them,” he said, adding that none of the system’s excellent performance would be possible “without our exceptional people. We have dedicated, passionate and exceptional employees across the board.”
Nevertheless, while it is easy to see the system’s excellence in the four A’s (academics, athletics, art and activities), Pulver says it is also somewhat obvious to see that there is much work to do to expand this ability to excel at the highest levels to a broader range of students.
“Sometimes I think people misunderstand when we we talk about excellence, high test scores, or things of that sort and just assume we’ll always be at the top of the county,” says Pulver. “For me, there is nothing further from the truth.”
For many in the LAUSD system, said Pulver, “it’s just not about high test scores but about proficiency built upon proficiency. No parent wills for their kids to be below grade level or for their kids to struggle,” he says.
“I don’t know a single parent that wishes for their child to struggle in reading or math and so on. Our vision, even though it’s a goal…an aspiration, is to push our limits of what we think is possible to help all students, not just the top 80 or 90 percent,” he said.
In addition to expanding the culture of excellence, Pulver hopes to install new policies that will add a new layer to the system’s security, creating a safe haven for students. In recent years, he said, the system has invested in physical security. He hopes to expand those efforts to emotional security.
And while the district has also focused a great deal on “physical security” of students, such as installing fencing, security devices and mylar on the windows, etc., Pulver said perhaps the district should consider turning the focus to efforts creating an internal environment “where all kids can thrive.”
Pulver wants all campuses across the district to be “a safe place where all students feel accepted.”
“We will work to add social and emotional aspects to the curriculum,” said Pulver, quickly adding that he was proud of the work done thus far by the ongoing human relations task force.
“The goal is to create a multi-tiered safe place for kids where they can thrive, are not discriminated against, and feel totally accepted. It’s the little things that make students believe in themselves.”
Drawing on his own experience of growing up in a family of 15 children, Pulver strongly believes that all students should be connected to something, inside or outside the school system.
“We want them connected because I think the kids most at risk are those who come to school and leave” not connected to some organized activity.
Pulver said “the kids I worry about the most are those involved in nothing. Doesn’t have to be in school, could be in their church, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, AYSO but involved in something.”
“If we can’t find ways to connect them (inside the system),” said Pulver, “we should find ways to connect them in ways outside academics, particularly at the middle and high school levels. The more they can be involved in extracurricular activity, the more adults they have around them reaching out, kind of caring and watching over them,” the better off everyone will be.
Even with challenges ahead, Pulver said the system was “left in great hands. He said the system is populated with amazing students and dedicated teachers that truly creates a unique culture for LAUSD.
“And so I don’t know of another finer group of dedicated, passionate and professional employees,” said Pulver, adding that “they really have a culture, I think, of making teaching a vocation. I don’t think most of them are time clock watchers because they see the fruits of their labor is improving the lives of kids,” he said of the teachers, educators and administrators in the system.
“We are also so fortunate to have the kids we do. It doesn’t mean they won’t challenge us or that they don’t push boundaries or that they don’t come from different backgrounds and home lives at times, but we really have amazing kids and families to partner with.”
And Pulver also recognizes the support of the community in general, and from the business community, even though estimates conclude as many as 80 percent do not have students in the system. The community’s recent approval of $100 million for new physical facilities will soon lead to the construction of a state-of-the art- STEM building at Los Al.
In summary, Pulver says he plans to be a good steward of the amazing educational culture of Los Alamitos Unified School District. “Culture is bigger than all of us,” he said. Because it is a unified district including all schools within Rossmoor, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach (all of which feed a single high school), Pulver hopes to truly make it “an exciting field trip from kindergarten to 12th grade” for students within the system.
The new superintendent plans to draw deeply upon his own values of faith and family empowerment, saying it is always critical to “bring others along,” and to “see yourself walking in their shoes.” Also, he knows that not every policy; not every experiment will work perfectly, yet he’s not afraid to fail, saying much of success is driven by the wisdom of mistakes.
“We are never comfortable with the status quo,” said Pulver, as he embarks on his mission as the new LAUSD superintendent, adding that his vision is to empower a powerful culture that will grow to expand the ability of all students to excel and prepare themselves for greater opportunities in life.
One thing Pulver says he knows for sure is that “it is the right goal to pursue.”
Mitsubishi announces plans to leave Cypress
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA), the fastest-growing Asian brand in the U.S. for the second consecutive year*, will relocate its headquarters from Cypress, California, to Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. The move is part of an ongoing plan to reinvent every aspect of Mitsubishi Motors in the U.S., from corporate leadership to dealer partners to every touchpoint in a customer’s relationship with their vehicle, and will sharpen the company’s focus on future growth and innovation.
Since 1988, MMNA has been rooted in California — now Cypress, and Fountain Valley prior to that. This move will begin in August, and be completed by the end of 2019.
MMNA’s move highlights efforts taken across the entire global landscape of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance to bring the companies closer together in key areas including procurement, development and cost efficiencies. The company chose Franklin as its new home because it allows MMNA to focus its efforts on company-wide reinvention and take advantage of the area’s vibrant technology skillset, all while realizing cost savings through the business-friendly work environment and proximity to sister company, Nissan.
While MMNA has seen an ongoing strengthening of the business for multiple years – six straight years of annual sales gains, the last two years now over 100,000 sales, and retaining its “fastest-growing Asian brand” title for the second year – it is the past 12 months that have seen the greatest changes across MMNA. Some include:
– 80 percent of the leadership team is new to the company or newly promoted to the role, bringing new experiences, backgrounds and a diversity of thought to the team
– 34 new dealer partners have been appointed across the country,
– MMNA’s regional network has been expanded from two offices to four (Cypress, Calif.; Irving, Texas; Swedesboro, NY; Lake Mary, Fla.)
– The company was the most-improved brand in the entire J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Customer Satisfaction Index
“Mitsubishi Motors is changing the way we go to market in the United States, and it is leading to a rebirth of the company,” said Fred Diaz, MMNA’s president and chief executive officer. “This is an exciting time for us, with a refreshed leadership team, new-look dealerships and redesigned and all-new vehicles. As we drive toward the future, this is the perfect time for us to move to a new home. While we say farewell to the Golden State with a heavy heart, we’re excited to say hello to Music City.”
There are nearly 200 people working in MMNA’s Cypress office. All corporate departments will be relocating, including sales, marketing, IT, human resources, communications, parts and service, product planning, dealer operations, finance and legal.
MMNA’s west coast parts distribution center (PDC), currently located on the existing headquarters campus, also will be relocating. MMNA is working with Nissan North America to establish its PDC in a newly constructed shared facility in Riverside, California — further proof of the streamlining and cost savings the Alliance partnership brings to Mitsubishi’s business.
Additionally, 25 employees representing the company’s Western Region operations will move to new offices elsewhere in Orange County, California.
No other Mitsubishi Motors facilities in the U.S. are affected, including Mitsubishi Research and Development North America (MRDA)’s R&D operations in Ann Arbor, Michigan and MRDA government relations operations in Washington, D.C.
“The reputation of Tennessee’s business climate and skilled workforce has attracted countless world-class businesses to our state. Over the years, Tennessee has become the epicenter of the Southeast’s thriving automotive sector, and I’m proud Mitsubishi Motors will call Franklin its U.S. home and bring 200 high-quality jobs to Middle Tennessee,” said Bill Lee, governor of the State of Tennessee.
Initially, MMNA will be transferring operations to a temporary office in Franklin. Beyond that, MMNA officials are working with representatives from commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, to identify the company’s permanent offices.
For more information on Mitsubishi Motors North America, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com.
UnitedHealthcare Helps Feed Families in Need
Palm trees, luxury convertibles and sprawling mansions are some of stereotypes and perceptions about Orange County – thanks in part to television shows and movies perpetuating a certain image. In reality, while this quintessential vision of wealth and prosperity does exist, it is in stark contrast to another side of Orange County, where there is a significant divide between those with means and those with very little.
For the last three decades, the income gap in Orange County has widened significantly, according to an analysis of U.S. census data. The top 90% of wage earners in Orange County earned roughly $203,000 a year in 2004 – 11 times more than the lowest 10% who only earned $18,000 a year.
This income disparity is reflected not just in lifestyle options, but also in the basic quality of life for many families on the lower end of the prosperity spectrum. Access to necessities such as safe housing, quality health care, reliable transportation and healthier food can become a struggle.
The reality is that millions of Americans live in households that are food insecure, which means they don’t have the resources to regularly acquire more nutritious food. Food insecurity and access to healthy food are the top social determinants of health that may contribute to issues like diabetes and obesity. More than 301,000 people in Orange County are at risk of hunger each month – including 1 out of 6 children.
Community food banks help fill this void by collecting donations and nonperishable food items and organizing volunteers to distribute critical food and meals to families in need.
Community partnerships are critical to building healthier communities and helping people live healthier lives. Employees from UnitedHealthcare recently volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank, whose mission is to end hunger in Orange County. In addition to monetary and food donations, donating time to end hunger in your community is also important, as food banks rely on volunteers to sort, package and distribute food. In just one afternoon, UnitedHealthcare volunteers delivered food to 174 families in Stanton – which totals 827 people. The volunteer team also helped load 6,360 pounds of food on the truck, which is roughly equivalent to 5,300 meals that were distributed to needy families across Orange County.
Food banks work with partners in the community, such as UnitedHealthcare, to create innovative, sustainable ways to end hunger in the region. The Second Harvest Food Bank feeds 250,000 men, women and children each month and last year Second Harvest distributed the equivalent of more than 21.6 million meals to the hungry in Orange County.
Courtesy photos
JFTB earns National Guard Environmental Award
For the third year running, Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) has been honored by the National Guard Bureau (NGB) for its environmental security initiatives. This year’s award centered on two major restoration projects – remediation of a fuel plume located underneath and adjacent to the installation’s Military and Veterans Resource Center and infrastructure restoration of Los Alamitos Army Airfield’s storm water retention structures.
Remediation of the fuel plume site (formerly an automobile service station), embraced new, cutting-edge technology — a patented Vapor Energy Generation (VEG) system that combined an in-situ technique that allowed for remediation of contaminated soil to pristine condition while simultaneously treating the groundwater hazard associated with the fuel tank leaks. The project was cost effective and not only validated the technology, it eliminated the need for excavation — effectively working as a “closed system” to utilize soil contaminants as fuel to power the machinery removing those contaminants.
Of equal importance to the military personnel and veterans who utilize the installation’s resource facility, the entire project was conducted without interruption of building operations and services.
A restoration project to repair and upgrade multiple World War II- era storm water retention structures on Los Alamitos Army Airfield was jointly undertaken by the JFTB Training Site Detachment and the Cal Guard’s 315th Vertical Construction Company, resulting in an estimated cost savings of $750,000 to the California Army National Guard in design and construction costs.
“This marks the third year in a row that JFTB has received an environmental award and I want to personally congratulate all the personnel at Joint Forces Training Base who share in these outstanding accomplishments,” said Colonel (CA) John Oberg, Director of Environmental Programs for the California National Guard. “This award is the result of the hard work and collaborative efforts between environmental programs, department of public works and JFTB headquarters staffs and serves as a benchmark for all of the other training sites within the state of California and nationwide… Job well done!”
For additional information, please contact Col. (CA) Richard Lalor at (562) 795-2096 or via email at ri******************@**il.mil, or SrA Crystal Housman at (805) 458-3825 or via email at cr*******************@**il.mil.
More than 200 sign up for Serve Los Al
Over 200 volunteers served both Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22 at the 2nd Annual Serve Los Al event beautifying the City, nonprofits, and senior resident homes in the community. A Health Clinic sponsored by Lestonnac Free Clinic served over nearly 80 participants with free dental extractions, medical care and acupuncture. Over 30 vendors were present for the MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach Health Expo. Additional Serve Los Al sponsors included Southland Credit Union and Cottonwood Church. Senator Tom Umberg was in attendance along with our City Council.
Courtesy photo
Rossmoor Women Watch Trump Re-election Campaign Announcement
A large group of supporters from the Rossmoor-Los Alamitos Republic Women Federated “enthusiastically” cheer President Donald Trump as he announces his re-election during a watch party held at Griffin’s Grill in Los Alamitos. According to the club’s publicity chairperson Robin Itzler, the club has members in west Orange County cities and greater Long Beach.
Sunburst Academy salutes another graduating class
Thirty Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy cadets are recognized after receiving a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate during a commencement ceremony for academy’s 23rd class, June 8, 2019, in Los Alamitos, California. Sunburst is a five-and-a-half-month residential program designed to help teens make up credits and learn eight core skills including responsible citizenship, fitness, health, leadership, followership, life-coping, and service to community. Sunburst is operated in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education and is located at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, and is one of three National Guard Youth Challenge programs facilitated by the California Military Department. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Crystal Housman)
Rossmoor Woman’s Club already planning Holiday Home Tour
The Rossmoor Woman’s Club is already looking for homes to include on this year’s Holiday Home Tour, a fundraiser that’s been a local tradition for more than 30 years. So, if you live in Rossmoor, the Highlands or nearby areas, don’t be surprised if a couple of nice ladies come knocking on your door in the next few weeks to ask if you’re interested in volunteering your home. (The ladies will have badges or other information identifying them as part of the RWC.)
The club needs 4-6 updated homes that will be decorated for the winter holidays (think Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa) in time for the tour on Sunday Dec. 8. The club is a registered 501(c) (3) charity and all the net proceeds of the tour go to local charities and to fund scholarships for Los Alamitos High School seniors. (For more information on the club, go online to rossmoorwomansclub.com.)
If you would like to volunteer your own home or recommend a neighbor’s, or if you have questions, please call (562) 810-7139. The club is also looking for sponsors to run ads in the home tour ticket brochure. Although it seems like December is far in the future, the homes and sponsors need to be final by the end of summer.
Doc Allred invites barred trainer to Los Al
Calls banned trainer a “scapegoat” for problem derived from number of factors
In somewhat of a surprise announcement, legendary Los Alamitos Racetrack owner Edward “Doc” Allred has offered safe haven to a trainer banned from Santa Anita Racetrack following the 30th death of a horse this past week.
According to NBC News, a Hall of Fame trainer was banned from Santa Anita Park near Los Angeles after the fourth horse from his stable died, marking the 30th death of a race horse at the famed track since December, state officials said Saturday.
The horse American Currency was injured while exercising Saturday morning and then euthanized, the California Horse Racing Board said. It was the fourth horse death connected to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer this season, the board said.
On Monday, Allred issued a public statement saying “Los Alamitos will gladly provide stalls to Jerry Hollendorfer, a Hall of Fame trainer and an unexcelled horseman. Unless forbidden by the California Horse Racing Board, we intend to permit entries from Hollendorfer. We do not feel he should be a scapegoat for a problem which derives from a number of factors.”
Musical Theater West presents Little Mermaid at Carpenter Center
Take a magical journey under the sea when Musical Theater West (MTW) brings Disney’s The Little Mermaid to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center July 12-28. Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story and Disney’s acclaimed film, this beautiful love story for the ages features a swimming score of classic songs, from “Part of Your World,” “Kiss the Girl” to the Academy Award® -winning “Best Original Song,” “Under the Sea,” composed by eight-time Academy Award®- winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas) and his frequent collaborator, the legendary Howard Ashman (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Little Shop of Horrors). The live musical boasts 11 new songs by Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater (Tangled, Love Never Dies and Galavant), from a book by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® -winning playwright Doug Wright (Grey Gardens, Hands on a Hardbody). Tickets are now on sale at musical.org, at the MTW Ticket Office, or by calling (562)856-1999. Tickets start at $20.
The journey of Disney’s The Little Mermaid begins in a palace in a kingdom beneath the sea, where a beautiful young mermaid named Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father, the king of the sea, escape the clutches of an evil sea witch and convince a prince that she’s the girl with the perfect voice.
Bringing magic to the sea and land is a cast of Broadway and regional theatre talent. KATHARINE McCONOUGH (Ariel) is known for her work as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and the title role in Disney’s Mary Poppins (Musical Theatre West), as well as Emily O’Dowd in the World Premiere of EMPIRE: The Musical (La Mirada World Premiere and NYC Readings). Other recent roles include Marian Paroo in The Music Man (Norris Theatre), Eponine in Les Misérables (Anchorage Performing Arts Center) and as Elsa in FROZEN: Live at the Hyperion at Disneyland.
DAVID BURNHAM (Eric) first gained critical acclaim replacing Donny Osmond as Joseph in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, earning him a Dramalogue Award. On Broadway, he starred as Fiyero in Wicked, a role he originated in the developmental workshops of the show. Additional credits include The Light in the Piazza on Broadway, for which he received the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for “Best Actor” as well as the Garland Award; the National Tour of Jesus Christ Supersta; and the Off-Broadway show The Best Is Yet to Come – The Music of Cy Coleman. Film and television audiences will recognize Burnham’s voice as the Prince in the animated film The King and I and can be heard on the soundtracks to Gepetto, Home on the Range, and Comedy Central’s “South Park.” Burnham has released two solo albums, his self-titled CD and One Day.
CYNTHIA FERRER’s (Ursula) credits include more than 100 national tours, regional musicals, and New York productions, including the national tours of Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy Selden) and Happy Days – The Musical (Marion Cunningham). She appeared at Madison Square Garden in Elf, and the MTW production of the show, as well as MTW’s Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mary Poppins, Dirty Rotten Scoudrels, and Oliver!. Other regional credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, 1776, and Anything Goes. Ferrer She has worked with and performed alongside Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts, Carol Burnett, Alec Baldwin, Courtney Cox, in such films as Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Georgia Rule. Soap fans will remember her turn on General Hospital as Dr. Rachel Ryan, as well as appearances in “Cougartown,” “Crossing Jordan,” “Judging Amy,” and “Port Charles.”
Classically trained opera singer MARC CEDRIC SMITH (King Triton) has performed with San Francisco Opera, the Chicago Lyric and Seattle Opera. After his Seattle Symphony debut, (Faure’s Requiem), he was asked to join Hal Prince’s First National Tour of Show Boat, performing throughout the United States, Canada and the West End. This led to starring roles in National Tours and regional productions of Ragtime, Secret Garden, Lion King, Aladdin, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida, and Tarzan. He reunited with Prince in Phantom Las Vegas Spectacular. Smith will be a familiar face to Disney fans, as he appeared as Grand Pabbie and the Bishop in Disney’s Frozen at the Hyperion Theatre in California Adventure.
A recent graduate of Pepperdine University, where he earned the prestigious John Raitt Award for “Outstanding Contribution to the Performing Arts” JALON MATTHEWS (Sebastian), makes his MTW debut as the Rastafarian crab. He was recently seen as Bobby Child in Crazy for You, Truffaldino in The Servant of Two Masters, Andrei in Three Sisters, and Jack in Into the Woods at Pepperdine and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Winter’s Tale at the New Swan Shakespeare Festival. He is currently a MFA acting candidate at UC Irvine, graduating spring of 2020.
Rounding out the cast are the talented Connor Marsh (Flounder), Joe Abraham (Scuttle), William Hartery (Chef Louis), Martin Kildare (Grimsby), Jacob Hoff (Flotsam) and Matt Braver (Jetson), Adrianna Rose Lyons, Carlin Castellano, Christine Negherbon, Elizabeth Eden, Fatima El-Bashir, and Tayler Mettra (Mersisters), and Kailyn Leilani, Lisa Stone, Marie Gutierrez, Antoine T. Lee, Brady Thomas Stanley, Chris Hunter, Gabriel Navarro, Galen J. Williams, George Xavier, Raymond Goodall, and Scott Spraags (Ensemble).
MTW’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid is under the direction of DANIEL PELZIG. On Broadway, Pelzig choreographed Moisès Kaufman’s five-time Tony Award® nominated 33 Variations, which he also choreographed at the La Jolla Playhouse and at the Ahmanson Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in 2003 choreographing A Year with Frog and Toad, which earned four Tony Award® nominations, including “Best Musical.” In addition to several Off-Broadway collaborations, Pelzig choreographed for the Metropolitan Opera productions of Lucia di Lammermoor, and Iphigenie en Tauride,. He then choreographed La Sonnambula and proudly served as associate choreographer to multiple Tony Award® nominee Graciele Daniele on Armida. His MTW productions of Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady earned rave reviews for his work as a director and choreographer.
Choreographer DANIEL SMITH returns MTW where he earned critical acclaim for his choreography in Guys and Dolls, Sister Act, and Carousel. Also for MTW, he served as director and choreographer for a dozen Reiner Readers Series productions, including She Loves Me, Li’l Abner, Pal Joey, and The Most Happy Fella, and The Goodbye Girl. For the Norris Theater, Smith directed productions of Young Frankenstein, Sweeney Todd: In Concert and Ragtime: In Concert. Additional credits include Teddy & Harry (Nine O’Clock Players); the west coast premiere of Sondheim On Sondheim, Into the Woods, and Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway at the Gardens/Lewis Family Playhouse); and Pajama Game and State Fair (Musical Guild).
Music Director and Conductor JOHN GLAUDINI’s work with MTW includes productions of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Spamalot, Singin’ in the Rain, Sweeney Todd, and the Ovation Award nominated The Andrews Brothers. At Disney’s California Adventure, he serves as the musical director and conductor for the critically acclaimed production of Frozen at the Hyperion. Glaudini is a mainstay on the Southern California theatre circuit, serving as musical director and conductor for productions of Rent, Billy Elliot, and Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Cats (McCoy-Ribgy); Putting it Together and Lucky Duck (South Coast Repertory); and Street Scene and Aspects of Love (Musical Theatre Guild), as well as in demand on throughout the country, working on productions in New York, Colorado, and Florida.
MTW’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid is made possible thanks to the support of Season Sponsors: Ackerman Family/Evalyn M Bauer Foundation, Kathy Baker Campbell and KC Wilson, Ken & Dottie Reiner, Don & Marlene Temple and The Port of Long Beach; Honorary Producer: Mari Hooper; with Youth Performance Underwriters: Ackerman Family/Evalyn M. Bauer Foundation, Don Black & Judy McNulty Black, Stan Cohen, Cathy King, Craig Myers & Sherri Sobel and Ethel Severson. Paul Garman serves as Executive Producer/Director of Musical Theatre West.
Officials gather for Chamber’s Kickboxing Ribbon cutting event
The Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce performed a Ribbon Cutting ceremony for I Love Kickboxing in Los Alamitos. Certificates were presented to ILoveKickboxing owner Jessica Borello, along with Marie- Pier Borello, by David Ochoa ,a representative for Senator Tom Umberg, Ryan Billings presented on behalf of State Assemblyman Tyler Diep, Mayor Pro-Tem Richard Murphy from the City of Los Alamitos, and Nesi Stewart, 1st Vice Chairman of the Chamber. Tacos were served as well as delicious pies donated by Polly’s Pies of Los Al. City Councilman Dean Grose, City Manager Bret Plumlee, Director of Development Les Johnson, City Park and Recreation Services Co-Directors Ron & Emeline Noda, Orange County Department of Education Board Member Mari Barke, Chamber Members, and students of ILoveKickboxing also celebrated this wonderful event!
Artillery fire to welcome first female commander of 40th Infantry Division
The sound of artillery fire will echo across communities surrounding Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) and Los Alamitos Army Airfield (LAAAF) on Saturday, June 29, commemorating the change of command of the California Army National Guard’s storied 40th Infantry Division.
The traditional artillery salute by M119 howitzers of the Cal Guard’s Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery Regiment, will highlight the formal ceremony at which Brig. Gen. Laura Yeager will formally assume command from Maj. Gen. Mark Malanka. With the assumption of command, Yeager will become the first woman in history to lead a U.S. Army Infantry Division.
The ceremony, which is open to the public, is scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m.
Test firing of the artillery will take place on Friday (June 28) and early Saturday morning in conjunction with ceremony rehearsals.
For additional information, please contact Col. (CA) Richard Lalor at (562) 795-2096 or via email at ri******************@**il.mil, or Senior Airman Crystal Housman at (805) 458-3825 or via email at cr*******************@**il.mil.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. military
Edgar’s nomination moves forward in Washington
It looks like former Los Alamitos mayor Troy Edgar is poised to become the next Chief Financial Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. With only one dissenting vote, Edgar’s nomination was approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs on Wednesday. Edgar’s nomination will now head to the full U.S. Senate for a vote by the full Senate. With a healthy Republican majority, it is now very likely that Edgar will be approved by the Senate to become CFO for a department with a budget approaching $100 billion.
Highlights of the Cypress Schools Board of Trustees June 10 Meeting
The Cypress School District Board of Trustees met in regular session June 10, 2019. Here is a list of the major actions taken during the meeting, according to a district press release.
- Staff Assignments: The Board approved the reassignment of Vanessa Freedman from fourth grade teacher at Morris to STEM Teacher on Special Assignment, replacing Adam Kelly, who will return to a teaching position at Morris.
- Annual Agreement Renewals: A number of routine agreements for services to support district programs and other business were renewed. Details regarding these agreements can be found in the Board agenda.
- Property & Liability and Workers’ Compensation Insurance: The district participates in public risk-sharing pools for its property & liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance. The Board ratified 2019/20 annual contributions of $241,283 for property & liability insurance and $366,119 for Workers’ Compensation insurance.
- Board Memberships for 2019/20: The Board voted to renew its membership in the Orange County School Boards Association at an annual cost of $175. Additionally, the Board renewed its membership in the California School Boards Association and Education Legal Alliance at a total cost of $10,418.
- Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators: In order to meet district staffing needs, it is sometimes necessary to file for short-term teaching authorizations with the state for individuals who are not fully credentialed in the specialty areas to which they are assigned. Before filing for such an authorization, a Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators must have been adopted by the Board. The Board adopted the District’s 2019/20 Declaration, which estimates a need for two Limited Assignment Permits in the area of Special Education and one English learner authorization emergency permit.
- Mystery Science: A one-year membership with Mystery Science, a web-based program that provides teachers with lessons based on the Next Generation Science Standards, was approved for the 2019/20 school year at a total cost of $2,994.
- Disposal of Obsolete/Damaged Instructional Materials: Instructional materials are inventoried periodically to identify items that are obsolete and/or damaged beyond repair. Following such an inventory, the Board authorized disposal of library books from each school. The list of titles is available here.
- Disposal of District-Owned Personal Property: The Board declared an oven and hot holding cart, both over 20 years old, as unusable and authorized recycling for scrap metal.
Child Nutrition Services Projects: Notices of completion were approved for the following projects:
- Landell Child Nutrition Services Project by M.P. South at a total cost of $1,164,485.
- Landell Child Nutrition Services Low Voltage Improvements Project by ICS Services, Inc. at a total cost of $24,586.68.
- Peachjar for Parent Communication: The Board approved an agreement with Peachjar for use of their electronic parent communication system for dissemination of district, school, and PTA-related information as well as flyers from community organizations. The only cost to the district is a one-time setup fee of $4,050.
- Budget and Local Control & Accountability Plan: Tim McLellan, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, and Tandy Taylor, Director, Instructional Services, provided a presentation regarding the district’s 2019/20 Budget and Local Control and Accountability Plan.
As required by law, two public hearings were held to provide the community with an opportunity to address the Board on the proposed budget and LCAP prior to adoption at a subsequent meeting. There were no comments from the public
Local woman graduates from Air Force training
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Vanessa R. Refuerzo graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Refuerzo is the daughter of Noemi and Reynaldo Refuerzo of Bellflower, California. She is the sister of Anthony Refuerzo of Bellflower.
The airman is a 2014 graduate of Mayfair High School, Lakewood, California. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 2018 from California State University, Long Beach, California.