Dec
30
Sound familiar?
Filed Under 2011 Issues, Los Al Medical Center, Planning & Zoning | 4 Comments
(12/30/2010, Los Alamitos) Who is the L.A.Times talking about here:
[This development project] points to bigger problems: The city follows, not leads, and allows developers to shape it one mega-project at a time.
Nope, it ain’t the last Los Alamitos Medical Center Medical Office Building, or the next, or the redesign of Los Alamitos Blvd.
Apparently Los Alamitos’ perenniel problems with willy-nilly development aren’t all that different from those of our giant neighbor to the northwest.
The above quote is from an article in tomorrow’s L.A. Times on AEG’s proposed NFL Stadium next to Staples Center.
The article begins with the same question many of us have been asking about Los Al: “Is this any way to build a city?”
The article points out the significance of “the path that AEG has taken to Read more
Dec
30
Los Al P.D. Weekly Crime Summary, 12/19-25
Filed Under Community News, Crime & Police | Leave a Comment
Wanted for Attempted Carjacking & Attempted Murder
(12/30/2010, Los Alamitos) From the following summary, sounds like a pretty calm pre-Christmas week in Los Al. One car broken into, a couple suspects arrested while passing through town, one drug bust also of someone driving through.
Our police are still looking for the guy in the sketch who attempted a carjacking and then shot at a lady as she was driving out of the Greenbrooks onto Bloomfield on Sunday, November 28, 2010, at approximately 8:40 PM. Click here for details.
Not sure why these are released almost a week late, but here’s last week’s report: Read more
Dec
30
Coming soon? Monday’s Los Al City Council Agenda
Filed Under City Council Meetings | Leave a Comment
(12/30/2010, Los Alamitos) Looks like good old 2010 is going out with. . . internet problems!
For as yet unknown reasons the city’s internet services have been down this afternoon, leaving our diligent City Clerk unable to put the agenda for Monday’s regular meeting online.
Adria will come in tomorrow morning to try again, so stay tuned.
A hard copy of the agenda is posted in the display case at City Hall, no doubt, so if you’re driving down Katella to the 605 tonight or tomorrow morning, please stop by & write down any agenda items of note & let us know in the comment spaces below.
Or, if you’re a Council Member and have received your copy, please do us a favor and give us a preview of Monday’s coming attractions.
I’m still waiting and hoping for an online version so I can Read more
Dec
30
A simple step to a happier New Year
Filed Under Crime & Police, Decency, News you can use, Traffic | 1 Comment
(12/30/2010, Los Alamitos, by Dave Emerson)20 months ago the Angels 22 year old rising pitching star and two of his friends were killed by a drunk driver just hours after Adenhart pitched six scoreless innings (their car is pictured above as police continued investigating the crime scene the following morning).
A week ago a Santa Ana judge confirmed that Adenhart’s killer, 24 year old Andrew Thomas Gallo, was indeed a triple murderer as he sentenced him to 51 years to life on three counts of second-degree murder.
Gallo’s excuse for driving with suspended license with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit was that he thought his half-brother was going to be the designated driver that night.
But when that half brother got drunk himself and handed the keys to Gallo, he took off on a drive that would soon Read more
Dec
29
12/29: Your reporting and comments on this week’s News-Enterprise & Sun
Filed Under 2010 Issues, Community News | 19 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 12/29/10) This week’s News Enterprise hasn’t arrived at my home yet, but I suspect it will include several year-end items and perhaps a response or two to last week’s front page article on the Medical Center expansion.
This weekly post is your opportunity to report on & respond to anything you find noteworthy in today’s N-E or tomorrow’s Sun, or to any comments below.
It’s our little way of bringing our weekly papers into
the world of cyberspace, where comments post instantly and can be responded to at the speed of light, rather than a week later.
Since not everyone who visits this site gets these papers, please summarize what you read before commenting. As always, use polite language, try to focus on issues, be diplomatic, & use the same screen name or, better yet, your own name.
Dec
28
Year-end closings, deadlines, calendar
Filed Under City Council Meetings, Community News, News you can use | Leave a Comment
- Los Alamitos City Hall and most city services are open from today through Thursday, 12/27-30, will be closed Friday, 12/31, reopening Monday, 1/3.
- Los Alamitos’ City Council will hold their first regular meeting of 2011 at 7 p.m. this coming Monday, 1/3/2011.
- You can put your Christmas tree out for pickup on your regular trash day this week or next, as long as you remove all decorations & the stand. According to what Consolidated tells me by phone & mail, this week your tree can be up to 8 feet tall, but next week, under that controversial new trash contract, it’ll have to be under 6 feet.
- No street sweeping (which in the past has always meant no parking tickets) this Friday. Next Friday it should resume at the same time, same sweeper, but owned & operated by Consolidated Disposal.
- According to the city website, this week is your last chance to buy a brick for the 50th Anniversary Courtyard, just $50 for a small brick with 2 lines of engraving, or $100 for a large brick with 3 lines. What a great opportunity to celebrate your family, business, church, club or whatever at a lovely site at Little Cottonwood Park. You can’t order online, but you can click here for more details on a form you can complete and fax or mail in.
- This week is your last chance for dog license amnesty! Here are the details from our Los Al P.D., who may be planning a major crackdown on Read more
Dec
27
Your thoughts on 2011 priorities for our Council
Filed Under 2011 Issues, City Council | 24 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 12/27/2010) Now that Christmas is behind us and we’re counting down to the ball dropping this Friday, it’s time to look forward to what we want from our new City Council in the New Year.
What’s most important:
- Master planning to increase sales tax revenue?
- Implementing the COMPASS recommendations to narrow Los Al Blvd. north of Katella, making it more pedestrian friendly so we can all take a leisurely stroll to Ganahl Lumber?
- Controlling spending and not touching the city’s multi-million dollar reserves?
- Reducing crime?
- Improving traffic flow?
- Watching out for the citizens & the city’s best interest in the hospital expansion?
- Rebidding the trash contract?
- Something else?
Who’ll be the first to get the conversation started?
Just click here Read more
Dec
26
“Full of grace and truth”
Filed Under Inspiration, Sunday Sermons, Songs & Stories | Leave a Comment
(12/26/2010, Los Alamitos) Our “Sunday Sermons” are spiritual in nature, from a Christian perspective. You have been warned.
Last week, in “Christmas in a nutshell,” we referenced John’s “big picture” description of the Nativity:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1: 14, English Standard Version)
This week, I got several chances to put the last part of that verse into practice.
As you might suspect, I blew it!
You see, Christmas isn’t only Read more
Dec
25
(12/25/2010) Just because Christmas is almost over doesn’t mean there aren’t Grinches still trying to steal whatever’s left of Christmas!
The key to deterring them, according to the Los Alamitos Police, is looking out for ourselves and our neighbors:
After Christmas trash alert!
Here’s the word from the LAPD:
When the Holidays are over and after wrestling with the “some assembly required” items in your home, it is time to set the trash out for pick-up.
Take a moment to consider the potential message being sent Read more
Dec
24
Blair, Beth, Kate, Emerson, Barb, Dave, Jet, Nate, Sarah, Ivy & Tres
(12/24/2010, Los Alamitos, by Dave Emerson) It’s been 22 years since we moved into Los Alamitos from Lakewood. I hardly imagined our family of 4 would grow to 11 so fast, but we’re richly blessed with each of our three “kids,” two son-in-laws, and four wonderful grandkids.
For most of us Christmas is partly a celebration of family. We are blessed to live in a very family-oriented community. Most of us who move here were willing to pay more for our house or apartment so our kids could benefit from the schools, youth sports, scouts, shorter commutes, and relative safety of our quaint little town.
So, over this Christmas weekend, whoever you voted for in November, whatever you think about the Medical Center Expansion or the trash contract, whether you’re Art DeBolt or Chuck Sylvia, Barb & I wish you and your family
- a weekend focused more on people than on things (or basketball),
- Holidays filled with the love, joy, and peace Jesus came to bring,
- and a New Year overflowing with all of God’s best.
Dec
23
(Los Alamitos, 12/23/2010)If you live in Los Alamitos and you’re worried about where to park all those cars to avoid a street sweeping ticket, you can relax.
I checked with our City Manager Jeff Stewart and he said there’ll be no more Friday street sweeping here this year.
City staff have this Friday and next Friday off, and Consolidated is scheduled to take over the street sweeping responsibilities in Los Al after Read more
Dec
23
Tenet’s position on Community Health’s attempted takeover
Filed Under 2010 Issues, Los Al Medical Center | 3 Comments
Tenet's last Los Alamitos Medical Office Building
(12/23/2010, Los Alamitos) (“Highlands Guy” is taking the week off.) One of the concerns with Tenet’s Los Al Medical Center 25 year expansion plan is that the LAMC may complete Phase I, building their biggest Medical Office Building (“MOB”) yet, but then stop and never proceed with Phase II, or III, expanding the hospital itself.
The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council deal with this issue.
Since the current plan is to “condo” the new Medical Offices, Phase I is the biggest money maker for Tenet of any of the various phases. That may explain why they have build two major Medical Office Buildings over the last several decades, without modernizing or expanding the hospital.
Another concern is whether Tenet will eventually sell the LAMC complex.
During the last two months, two unsolicited bids form Community Health to buy the entire Read more
Dec
22
12/22: Your reporting and comments on this week’s News-Enterprise & Sun
Filed Under 2010 Issues, Community News | 2 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 12/22/10) This week’s News Enterprise includes a front page article on the Medical Center Expansion, a feature on Sir Speedy printing, and several letters to the editor.
This weekly post is your opportunity to report on & respond to anything you find noteworthy in today’s N-E or tomorrow’s Sun, or to any comments below.
It’s our little way of bringing our weekly papers into Read more
Dec
21
2010 Los Alamitos Holiday Decorating Contest Winners
Filed Under Community News, News you can use | Leave a Comment
(12/21/2010) Last Thursday evening several teams of volunteer judges braved the elements to select first and second place winners in outside Holiday Decorating in each of Los Alamitos’ neighborhoods.
Volunteers included at least one former Mayor (Alice Jempsa) and one current newspaper editor (Brian Smith), and many ordinary citizens like you & me.
You might just want to save this list for a pleasant evening drive. . . even in the rain.
You might also want to notice which tract and which amazing street had the most winners, and at least take a spin by there. I have, and it’s excellent, as are Read more
Dec
21
“Gotchas” in new trash contract: Toss “bulky” items NOW!
Filed Under 2010 Issues, News you can use | Leave a Comment
(Los Alamitos, 12/21/2010) In reviewing the full color flyer Consolidated Disposal mailed me I noticed a few changes coming for the new year.
The good news, for single family residents, is that our rates actually drop a bit in the new year. Of course, they would have dropped more if the Council had gone with any of several bidders that came in lower than Consolidated, who is charging our businesses and renters more than twice what the lowest qualified bidder proposed, but that’s now in a judge’s hands, thanks to some concerned local citizens.
The bad news included a couple of surprises, but if you act now, you can dodge at least one bullet, that being the new Read more