Marina High and Kennedy High had to settle for a 1-1 draw in December in a non-league girls soccer game at Marina High. Marina junior Erika Sosa scored first, off an assist from Ofelia Sosa-Cruz to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Kennedy would tie the game up on a penalty kick. (Pictured) Erika Sosa, at right, battles with Kennedy’s Kaylin Cruz for possession of the ball. Photo by Ted Apodaca.
Race on the Base in February
The Southland Credit Union 36th Annual Los Alamitos Race on the Base will take place on Feb. 24 through Feb. 25, 2017.
Register now and take advantage of ways to save or race for free.
· Register by Feb. 5 and beat the price increase for late registration.
· Join Southland Credit Union and receive a free Race on the Base registration for Glow Run/5K/10K events, or 50% off the Reverse Triathlon.
· All Military, Police and Fire personnel receive a Hero Discount of $5.00 off with code HERO2017.
Swimmers set club records
The 13-14 year old girls relay team from the Seal Beach Swim Club took first place in the 400-yard freestyle relay at The Winter Age Group Championships.
The meet took place in Palm Springs from Dec. 9-11. The girls had to qualify for entry to the meet by making time standards at prequalifying meets throughout the fall. They finished with a time of 3:44.71, which also set a new Seal Beach Swim Club record for that event.
Los Alamitos School District makes AP Honor Roll
For the seventh year in a row, Los Alamitos Unified School District has made the College Board’s Advanced Placement Honor Roll.
Los Alamitos USD is one of only four districts in the United States to make the Honor Roll for seven consecutive years.
The honor roll consists of the 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada that simultaneously achieved increases in access to Advanced Placement® courses for a broader number of students and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP® students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam.
King, Queen of Hearts Court revealed
The Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF) announced the Royal Court candidates for the King & Queen of Hearts campaign on Dec. 15. The King and Queen will be crowned at the Royal Ball and Coronation gala on Feb.
Huskies celebrate the ‘Hour of Code’
In honor of National Computer Science Week on Dec. 5 – 9 all Hopkinson students participated in the Hour of Code, a self-guided activity, allowing students to try out the basics of computer science.
All Hopkinson students participated in hour of code in their classrooms and the Hopkinson Media Center. During this time, students were introduced to the basics of coding through apps like Kodable and Scratch.
Cypress student is Senate Youth Program alternate
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson recently announced two outstanding high school students to represent California in the 55th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
Torlakson also named two alternates in the event that one or both of the delegates are unable to attend the program. Stuti Grover, of Cypress was chosen as the second alternate.
Swim school goes the extra mile
Known for successfully teaching life saving swim skills to students of all ages and abilities, Watersafe Swim School of Seal Beach and Los Alamitos has taken an extra step to help one of their very own students who has a very special need.
Council reorganizes
The Los Alamitos City Council reorganized its positions on Dec. 12.
Newly elected councilmember Josh Wilson took over Dean Grose’s seat after successfully winning the city council election with a total vote tally of 2,676.
“Josh worked harder than the rest of us and came out on top, and I congratulate him for that,” said Grose at the meeting Monday.
Richard Murphy, who finished second with 2,137 votes, stepped down from his seat as Mayor and Shelly Hasselbrink was voted Mayor.
Statewide wage increase costs Los Al two jobs
In light of the statewide mandatory minimum wage increase on Jan. 1, 2017, Los Alamitos City staff is recommending crossing guards be removed from the city’s budget, according to a city staff report.
Los Alamitos estimates the upcoming wage increase will cost an extra $5,000 a year, which it’s expecting to cover by outsourcing crossing guards to All City Management Services and by leaving a secretary position unfilled in the Recreation and Community Services department.
Thousands flock to local Winter Festival
Over 2,000 children of all ages and their parents enjoyed an evening of holiday magic at the Second Annual Rossmoor Winter Festival, Friday, Dec. 9. RCSD President Tony DeMarco gave the opening remarks, and Senator Janet Nguyen and her son Tommy hosted the tree lighting ceremony. Also in attendance were Orange County Supervisor Steel’s Field Representative, Tim Whitacre and the entire RCSD Board of Directors.
Rossmoor crowns its Celebration of Christmas Lights winners
From the judges perspective, this 10th Anniversary Celebration of Christmas Lights was by far the most festive and fun. Why you might ask? Well, the mode of transportation was a big 45 foot long decorated bus. The monster of an orange beast drove up saying, “Yes we are pulling in front of your wonderful house.Yes we are checking out your lights. Thank you for decorating, and you made the map!”
Check before you burn
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) launched its annual fall and winter air pollution prevention program, Check Before You Burn in November. The program is aimed at improving Southern California’s air quality by restricting wood burning in residential fireplaces on days when air pollution levels are high, which is from November through February.
New shopping center project in Los Al on the agenda
Editor’s note:
The Los Alamitos Planning Commission approved the project at its meeting last week. The developer, Lincoln Property Company, now has the greenlight to begin the project. The print edition stated the project still has to go through the hands of the city council, which is incorrect according to Steven Mendoza, Los Al’s Community Development Director, when asked to clarify on Nov 21.
Winter Wonderland returns in December
Welcome the holiday season with the return of Winter Wonderland at the Plaza presented by Arrowhead Products in December.
Bring your friends and family on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. to St. Isidore Historical Plaza at 10961 Reagan St. and see it transformed into a festive holiday-themed “wonderland.”
Keep the ‘Holiday Tradition’ with Los Al High’s Choir
“Holiday Tradition” will be presented Dec. 8 – 10 by the 400-plus member National Champion Los Alamitos Choral Department. The award-winning Los Al High Orchestra will be accompanying the choir in the epic finale featuring the “Hallelujah Chorus.” As always, the current choir group invites choir alumni to join in on the singing. This year, the group is especially welcoming local servicemen and women so that they may be recognized for their service to our country.
Youth Center receives grant from ABB Optical
ABB Optical Group, a leading distributor of optical products, recently announced that the Los Alamitos Youth Center will receive a $1,000 grant through the company’s third annual ABB Cares program, which recognizes and celebrates outstanding non-profit organizations throughout the country.
Care and Share food drive in Cypress
The Cypress Senior Center is holding a food drive through Nov. 30. As many as 335,000 Orange County residents are at risk of going hungry. The majority of people at risk each month are the working poor, children, seniors on fixed incomes, single parents, veterans, the disabled, the homeless, and individuals experiencing medical emergencies or recent job layoffs. This is a chance to make a real difference in the lives of families in Orange County who could go hungry without you.
Happenings at the Cypress Senior Center for November
The following programs will be offered at the Cypress Senior Center. You do not need to be a Cypress resident to participate in these free programs. Reservations are required, unless otherwise indicated. For more information or reservations please call 714-229-2005.
Blood Pressure Screenings
Glenda Papa, R.N.
Friday, Nov. 18
10 – 11:30 a.m. Free. Walk-in.
How Veterans Day got its name and tales of local Vets
Over 57 million men and women have served, sacrificed, and fought in our country’s Military forces from 1775 through 2016.
In 1775, 241 years ago, our “War of Independence” began.
The Revolutionary War liberated our 13 original colonies from the British monarchy. The men and women who lived and died in the 13 colonies were known as patriots. The patriots fought with Gen. George Washington in the Revolutionary War and they became our country’s first Military Veterans.