Feb
21
Race On The Base – 2010-02-27
Filed Under Community News, Local events, News you can use, The Base | 3 Comments
[Ed note: Dave is out of town and I have been asked to cover for him while he is gone. This is STILL Dave's space, but I know that he would have put something up on this event, so I will do so in his place. - JM Ivler]
For 29 years the City of Los Alamitos has, along with the Joint Forces Training Base and The Cancer Support Foundation have been having the Race On The Base. All proceeds will benefit the USA Water Polo National Training Center at the Joint Forces Training Base. The 5K Walk is co-hosted by the Cancer Support Foundation and a portion of the proceeds, generated from the 5K Walk and through race registration, is donated to the organization.
Feb
1
Feb 1: YOUR reporting on tonight’s 2 Los Al Council Meetings
Filed Under 2010 Issues, City Council Meetings, Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning, The Base | 5 Comments
(2/1/2010, Los Alamitos): Once again it’s your turn to be the reporter on our City Council meetings. Tonight is interesting because it features Read more
Dec
3
What do YOU think of the President’s troop build-up?
Filed Under National Issues, The Base | Leave a Comment
(12/3/09) Living in a town where half of the total real estate is owned by the military, the President’s Tuesday announcement of his plans to deploy 30,000 additional troops to Afganistan should be especially important to Los Alamitos residents.
I’ve heard quite a few different opinions, but thought it would be good to see what others who live here think. Personally, I was glad that Read more
Nov
11
A salute to our Veterans
Filed Under Decency, The Base | 5 Comments
(LosAlamitos, 11/11/2009, Veterans’ Day) In our living room sit two neatly folded American flags sit in triangular flag holders, presented graveside to my mother and Barb’s mother by a crisply uniformed officer “on behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation.”
About 200 yards south of my house is the wall enclosing our Joint Forces Training Base.
When I pull up to the 4-way stop sign nearest our home, there’s a good chance that one of the other cars at the intersection will be driven by someone in military uniform.
In a sense, every day in Los Alamitos is Veterans’ Day, and well it should be. Indeed, in a sense, every Read more
Sep
11
9-11, 8 years later: A word of thanks to our Los Al heroes
Filed Under Inspiration, The Base | 2 Comments
New York 8 years ago today
(9/11/09, Los Alamitos) Early this morning I was riding my zero-emissions, infinite gas mileage alternative vehicle home from “Norm’s” Automotive on Sausalito (we’ve got at least three good auto repair shops right here in Los Alamitos, so I see no need to drive further and spend more money so the sales tax on those overpriced parts can go to Cerritos or Westminster).
As I passed the Los Al fire station, I noticed John Underwood setting up a video camera to record a tribute to the heroes who gave their lives trying to save their fellow Americans eight years ago. Men and women willing to rush into two buildings that thousands Read more
Sep
3
Heather Hagan leaves Community Relations position at The Base
Filed Under Community News, The Base | 1 Comment
(9/3/2009, Los Alamitos, by Dave Emerson) After three years of service as the Community Relations Specialist at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base, Heather J. Hagan today announced that, “effective immediately, due to increased responsibilities in my schedule, I will be resigning from my position on the [Regional Military Affairs] Committee.”
The news came in an e-mail sent at noon today, Thursday, under the heading, “RMAC COMMUNITY RELATIONS CHAIR RESIGNATION EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.”
At first I thought perhaps the always helpful Heather was merely stepping down from a voluntary RMAC position, but according to Read more
Aug
28
Friday morning crash on Katella @ Los Alamitos
Filed Under Development, Planning & Zoning, The Base, Traffic | 42 Comments
Was it a recycling truck from the Base? (Click photo to enlarge)
(Los Alamitos, 8/28/09, by Dave Emerson) Around 9:30 this morning a RAV4 turning left from Katella eastbound onto Los Alamitos Blvd. northbound was hit by a diesel big rig going west on Katella.
An hour later the truck still blocked two westbound lanes on Katella and all northbound lanes on Los Al Blvd.
According to an officer on the scene the car turning left was Read more
Aug
4
Los Al Council continues Medical Center EIR & Base truck issues
Filed Under 2009 Issues, City Council Meetings, Planning & Zoning, Teamwork, The Base | 26 Comments
Council takes a step back from immediate confrontation with Base over recycling trucks
(8/4/09, Los Alamitos) At a lengthy but relatively non contentions meeting Monday night, the Los Alamitos City Council deferred decisions on two hot topics by continuing them for at least two weeks.
It’s been a while since I’ve actually made it to a Los Alamitos City Council meeting, and I was surprised at Read more
Aug
1
Recycling Truck Ban, Medical Center Project, Fees for the 4th on Council Agenda for Monday, August 3
Filed Under 2009 Issues, City Council Meetings, The Base | 6 Comments
(August 1, 2009, Los Alamitos) This Monday night’s 7 p.m. City Council meeting has a number of interesting items on the agenda.
It appears that the Council will move forward with plans to ban trucks weighing over 4 tons from Lexington Ave. south of Katella, a move aimed directly at the 10 daily recycling round trips forced to use 2-lane Lexington now that Seal Beach has blocked them from using Base’s preferred, more direct route using 4-lane Lampson.
This is a follow up by staff from two prior meetings at which the issue was raised. As one local observer told me,
The big battle if you have been watching the last couple of meeting is…the trucks on Lexington. Troy threw down the gauntlet. The battle is on.
While I tend to be supportive of the Base’s efforts, I’m also pleased to see our Council sticking up for our town and our residents. I don’t have the ful picture yet, but from what I do know, it looks like Mayor Edgar is Read more
Jul
23
Major General John S. Harrel
(7/23/2009) Your opportunities to meet the incoming Base Commander, to tour the Base, to tour a Guided Missile Destroyer, to enjoy community drama, or to participate in a fund raiser for Cancer relief or for Crime Victims were all included in today’s Joint Forces Training Base Announcement of upcoming events.
Interested citizens and business people will have a chance to meet and welcome incoming Base Commander Major General John S. Harrel this coming Tuesday afternoon at the regular monthly meeting of the Regional Military Affairs Committee (RMAC).
Major General Harrel previously commanded the 40th Infantry Division of the California National Guard for the past two years and previously served as the as the Chief of Staff of the Multi-National Brigade East Kosovo Force while Read more
Jun
30
Schedule for JFTB’s Big 2009 July 4th bash
Filed Under Community News, News you can use, The Base | Leave a Comment
(6/30/09, Los Alamitos) Sounds like this year’s 4th Celebration at the Joint Forces Training Base may be the biggest and best ever. Bands, speeches, and two big flyovers are just part of what’s planned. And, once again, admitance is free!
Activities begin at 2 p.m. and continue until the fireworks at 9. This year marks General James Combs retirement, not to mention the birth of our nation.
Here’s the latest, straight from Read more
Jun
12
Los Al Council urged to seek “full partner” status in Base planning
Filed Under 2009 Issues, City Council Meetings, The Base | 13 Comments
City Manager Stewart doing his homework at the Base
(6/12/09, Los Alamitos) There’s several interesting intems on this Monday’s regular Los Alamitos City Council meeting (6/15/09). We’ll get to the full agenda and some other items of note tomorrow.
Today, however, let’s note an interesting letter that our new City Manager Jeff Stewart is suggesting Mayor Edgar send on behalf of the Council to outgoing Base Commander General James P. Combs.
What I find especially noteworthy about the suggested letter is that in it Read more
Jun
11
A true American hero, Gen. James P. Combs soldiers on
Filed Under Teamwork, The Base, Traffic | 7 Comments
(6/11/2009, Los Alamitos, by Dave Emerson) The more I observe the Base’s outgoing commander, General James Combs, the more impressed I become. My father-in-law was a carreer military man, and Barb tells me anyone who rises to the ranks of General is just about guaranteed to be one of our nation’s best.
That’s certainly the case with Gen. Combs. With less than three weeks until his July 4th retirement, instead of burning up his remaining vacation pay and making the rounds of retirement parties he continues to fight hard and skillfully for Read more
Jun
9
Most local residents who visited the site two weeks ago seemed supportive of the Base composting.
(6/9/2009, Los Alamitos) After the Seal Beach City Council voted 5 – 0 last night to post signs enforcing a ban on large trucks on Lampson, outgoing Joint Forces Base Commander Gen. Combs indicated he will find another route for the 12 trucks a day delivering green waste to the Base.
“We are going to continue to work with the public to find the best way to Read more
Jun
8
The General skips Los Al P.C. for Seal Beach C.C. . . . again
Filed Under Planning & Zoning, The Base, Traffic | Leave a Comment
(6/8/09, Los Alamitos) For the second time in a row, Seal Beach’s ongoing uproar over recycling trucks accessing the Base via Lampson have led to General Combs canceling a scheduled appearance before the Los Alamitos Planning Commission at tonight’s regular meeting. (Complete Planning Commission Agenda below)
The cancellation, while frustrating to Los Alamitos’ Planning Commissioners, is understandable, because Seal Beach’s Council will be voting tonight on a plan that have a major impact on the Base’s new pilot recycling program (see “The eco-general strikes back,” our 5/26 post on the topic).
According to a Register online report earlier today, Seal Beach, the proposal would ban all trucks heavier than 6,000 pounds from traveling down Lampson. That’s roughly the weight of a typical full sized quad cab pickup, which seems a bit like overkill (see “Seal Beach to ban large pickups from Lampson?“) In any case, it could turn the General’s plan to support the rehab of the base by going green into a nightmare for Los Alamitos residents who Read more
