Recreational Swim Through September Register Online at Splashlamirada.Com
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FALL 2020 Recreational Swim through September Register online at splashlamirada.com ALSO INSIDE: ANNUAL REPORT Celebrate La Mirada’s History This year marks La Mirada’s diamond anniversary! A Community Seeks Incorporation The City of La Mirada experienced growth through the mid- 1950’s. Under the direction of Louis M. Halper and the La Mirada Development Company, 7,800 homes were built or planned for construction. The community enjoyed local service shops, the Valley View Farms Drive-In Dairy, a gas station, post office, fire station, and plans for a 100-acre shopping center development were underway. The region was transforming from its country-like setting to a more urbanized area, and cities began to form. Many communities in Los Angeles County began to seek cityhood; and as La Mirada faced the threat of outside annexation, residents quickly mobilized to preserve their community by seeking incorporation. In 1956, “La Miradans” formed a Steering Committee to help campaign for incorporation. Residents learned that Santa Fe Springs officials filed an Intent to Incorporate seeking an industrial area near La Mirada. More than 400 residents attended a town hall meeting and volunteers began to circulate a petition for signatures. Community members campaign to incorporate La Mirada. This first attempt was denied by the County as signatures fell short Not everyone in the community favored incorporation. There was of the requirements. opposition from the La Mirada Taxpayers Against Incorporation and Much of 1957 was a continuous battle with Santa Fe Springs the Central Manufacturing District, which owned more than half of over the industrial land. The City of Santa Fe Springs incorporated the industrial land in the area. They argued tax increases would come in May of 1957. It failed in its attempted annexation of the with incorporation. The election was held on January 14, 1958, with industrial portion near La Mirada and local residents organized 70 percent voter turnout. Incorporation lost by 125 votes. committees to make a second attempt at incorporation. A third attempt at incorporation began a week after the election, as As a Citizens Committee for Incorporation began to work on neighboring cities renewed annexation efforts. Leaders of La Mirada a second attempt to incorporate, a much smaller city than what reorganized as the La Mirada Civic Committee of One Thousand and the first attempt at cityhood intended was proposed. The name of filed for a third attempt to incorporate. To avoid the two-year waiting La Mirada Knolls was adopted to bypass a two-year wait period to period, the committee filed under the name Mirada Hills. re-apply. Several groups were involved in the process, including The County scheduled the local election for January of 1959, the La Mirada Citizens Committee for Incorporation, the La Mirada and heavy campaigning from both the pro-incorporation group and Homeowners Association, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and those in opposition occurred throughout the area. Mirada Hills the leading local paper, The Lamplighter. won cityhood on January 13, by 513 votes. However, Los Angeles County denied incorporation of Mirada Hills just a few days later and the formal certification would not be confirmed until March 23, 1960, following litigation. Mirada Hills became the 68th city in Los Angeles County. The first City Council included Jerry Resnick, Jack Clifford, Jim Jenkins, Estelle Troup, and Richard Danson. Wanting to return to the original name Andrew McNally gave the land, “Proposition T” was introduced in the election of 1960 to change the city’s name back to La Mirada. Proposition T was approved by 80 percent of the voters and became the first city in the county to change its name by its citizens. By 1965, most of the unincorporated area surrounding the new City of La Mirada had been annexed. Proposition “T” was on the ballot to re-name the City from Mirada Hills to La Mirada. 2 In Memoriam Myllie Taylor The City of La Mirada is mourning the loss of community member Association and Girls Scouts and friend to many, Myllie Taylor. She passed away of natural causes of America when her children on June 26 at 96 years of age with her family at her side. Myllie was were young, was the originator a prominent community member and one who sought to preserve and and first President of the share La Mirada’s rich history. La Mirada Hospital Myllie, her husband Ronald and their two daughters moved to Advisory Council, which La Mirada in 1955. She lived in the same house for the last 65 years provided free medical and witnessed the transformation of La Mirada from its early days of services to children in need. She also was part of Project Angel agriculture and its country-like atmosphere to become a city of nearly Tree for ten years, and was an original member of the La Mirada 50,000 residents. Sister City Association. She was very involved in the community from the beginning. Myllie was a strong supporter of the City she helped incorporate. She worked as a journalist for three local newspapers, including Over the years, she served on the Community Services Commission, the Whittier Daily News, the Anaheim Bulletin known today as Historical Preservation Advisory Council, La Mirada Theatre for the Orange County Register, and the Los Angeles Times. She also the Performing Arts, Friends of the Theatre, and the Chamber of contributed to the Norwalk Call Advertiser as a columnist. Commerce. In 1956, she joined the committee that would fight to preserve their Myllie’s commitment to making La Mirada a better place community and campaign to incorporate La Mirada. She enjoyed was recognized in 1997 when she was honored with the City of sharing of La Mirada’s early days and the fight for incorporation. La Mirada Volunteers in Action Lifetime Achievement Award. She particularly enjoyed sharing La Mirada’s history with local In 2015, she received the Community Services Award at the elementary and middle school children. La Mirada Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. The award was later renamed Myllie embodied the spirit of the community that was eager to the “Myllie Taylor Community Services Award,” in her honor and make La Mirada a better place. She served her community in a would be used to recognize future recipients for their contributions variety of ways through her involvement in various civic groups, to La Mirada. committees, and commissions. She served on the board that created Myllie gave selflessly of her time and efforts, and for this, the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and was Co-Chair the La Mirada community is grateful. She is survived by her of the Friends of the La Mirada Theatre during the three-day grand two daughters, Linny and Sherry, four grandsons, and two great opening celebration in 1977. She was involved in the Parent Teachers grandchildren. Virtual and socially distanced in-person Recreation Activities are available. City of La Mirada Honors Veterans The City of La Mirada plans to honor local veterans with a special recognition on the electronic marquee in front of City Hall. From November 7 through November 14, the names and service branch of veterans will be rotated along with other messages and City information. To participate in this special Veterans Day recognition, veterans, or their family members, should provide the name and service branch of the veteran, copy of their Veteran ID Card (VIC), and proof of La Mirada residency by October 23. To submit Veteran information, please email Community Services Coordinator Jorge Orozco at [email protected], Please visit cityoflamirada.org for a or call (562) 943-7277. list of available classes. 3 Your Response to Mortgage/Rental Assistance the Census 2020 Grant Offered to Residents Matters! Affected by COVID-19 The City of La Mirada has partnered with the U.S. The City of La Mirada is providing a Mortgage/Rental Assistance Census Bureau to support the 2020 Census. The U.S. Grant Program funded by the Community Development Block Grant Constitution mandates a count of the population every (CDBG) through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 10 years. It is important that everyone is accurately (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided the City with $157,648, which represented, as the Census provides the basis for will be distributed to low-moderate income residents financially impacted distributing billions of dollars in federal funding to by COVID-19. support state, county, and community programs. The City’s program will assist qualified La Mirada residents with Every household has the option of responding up to two months of mortgage/rental payments. The total amount may online, by phone, or by mail. As of early July, not exceed $4,000. Applicants must show they are unable to make their La Mirada had reached a 72% self-response rate. housing payment due to the impacts of COVID-19 and meet income Households can continue to respond online, by qualifications based on household size. This assistance will be in the form mailing back their paper questionnaire, or by phone of a grant and will not need to be paid back to the City. at 844-330-2020. Responses must be submitted by Funding is limited and will be distributed to qualified applicants on a September 30. first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in applying to the program All responses are kept confidential and are may access the application on the City’s website or by visiting La Mirada protected by federal law. To learn more about the City Hall. Program information is also available by calling City Hall at Census or to respond, visit 2020census.gov.