Do you know what to do in an emergency? Are you prepared to help your loved ones and community in the event on a natural disaster?
If not, The La Habra Police Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department will be conducting free Community Emergency Response Team training sessions at the Community Center on Oct. 1, 8 and 15.
CERT classes will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and will provide participants with basic training in safety and life-saving skills. Discussed will be disaster preparedness, general fire safety, basic medical operations, disaster psychology and basic search and rescue.
There are a limited number of openings in the CERT program. For more information or to inquire about seat availability, contact Emergency Services Coordinator David Gonzalez at 562-383-4306, or by e-mail at dgonzalez@lahabraca.gov.
LA HABRA’S FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR A SUCCESS
As expected, the city’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular was a great success. This year, an estimated 6,000 people packed the La Habra High School Stadium to enjoy the show, with several thousand more watching from surrounding neighborhoods.
Because of stadium construction, the event stage was in a new location, but it did nothing to dampen the patriotism and community spirit of the day.
As you may have heard, this was the last year the city will be able to host the show at La Habra High School; the stadium’s reconstruction will make future fireworks shows there infeasible.
Staff from the Community Services Department is already busily looking into alternative locations. One potential site we’re investigating is La Bonita Park. We should have a better handle on where the show will move later this year. In any case, wherever the show occurs in 2017, we’ll provide ample public notice.
Congratulations to Community Services Director Sal Failla and his staff – especially David DeLeon, Katie Elmore, and Melissa Rivera – for the long hours of hard work they put into making sure La Habra enjoyed a wonderful Fourth of July. Special thanks also to the men and women of the Police Department and the Public Works Department.
Of course, an event of this magnitude would not be possible without the generous support of our many sponsors, CR&R Environmental Services, Martplan Insurance, American First Credit Union, MetLife, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and Children’s Happy Teeth Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics.
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT CENTER CELEBRATES GRADUATION CEREMONY
Earlier this month, Orange County Youth Employment Center – based right here in La Habra – held its fourth annual graduation ceremony.
Youth Center staff, as well as educators from John Muir High School which operates at the Youth Center, joined nearly 250 friends, family and supporters at the Community Center to witness the graduation of 28 young adults who earned their high school diploma through the center’s program. John Muir High School is a charter school that awards diplomas to students completing the program rather than receiving GED certificates.
Three graduates spoke about the barriers they overcame to achieve their success; their words were both poignant and inspiring. We offer our collective congratulations and hopes for continued success.
CITY INCREASING WEST NILE VIRUS EFFORTS
La Habra was recently notified by the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District that an additional seven positive tests (non-human) for West Nile Virus had been found in the city. To date, the district has deployed inspectors, placed signs in Osornio and La Bonita parks, started to conduct “door-to-door” notification of residents and voluntary walks of private property with owners to educate them on best practices for mosquito abatement.
In addition, the city has been disseminating informational flyers and posting informational pieces on social media and the city’s website to help educate La Habrans. In light of these positive samples, both the Vector Control District and the city will be expanding our response efforts. Informational signs will be posted at all La Habra parks, one more information will be posted online.
For more information about West Nile Virus, visit the Vector Control District at ocvcd.org or call 714-971-2421.
BUILDING IN LA HABRA CONTINUES AT A STRONG CLIP
Construction valuation for new projects in La Habra during fiscal year 2015-16 exceeded all expectations, coming in at nearly $92 million. To give you an indication of just how strong local construction activity has been the past year, consider the construction valuations for the period between 2010-11 and 2015-16:
2010-11: $12,348,046
2011-12: $35,744,124
2012-13: $28,163,356
2013-14: $26,665,827
2014-15: $19,295,604
2015-16: $91,926,618
Construction activity is directly related to the relative strength of the larger economy, and while we expect some softening of commercial and residential construction activity in the next two to three years, we believe 2016-17 will also be a strong year, although perhaps not as strong as last year.
In addition, revenue the city has received from construction permits and plan check fees has been very strong of late. Keep an eye out for several large construction projects that will continue to make progress in La Habra during the next 12 months, most notably the Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building on Imperial Highway, just west of Harbor Boulevard, and the Fairfield Residential project on Beach Boulevard. For more information, contact the Community Development Department at 562-383-4100.
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM GETS SUMMER CLEANING
The Children’s Museum at La Habra will be closed Aug. 29 to Sept. 26 as staff renovates and prepares for new exhibits to open this fall. When the museum reopens, please visit the new exhibit, “Time of Giants: Animals of the Ice Age.” The exhibit, which will run until to March 7, will offer visitors a chance to travel back in time 10,000 years to an age when giant slots, saber-toothed cats and wooly mammoths roamed North America. Information: 562-383-4236.
LA HABRA HOSTS MOVIE NIGHTS
Though the sun’s rays are strong and temperatures remain warm, a quick glance at the calendar shows the start of the school year is just around the corner. But don’t be glum, the city has several exciting family friendly movies nights scheduled for August.
Aug: 12: Oeste Park, “Despicable Me 2”
Aug. 19: Brio Park, “The Incredibles”
Aug. 26: La Habra High School pool, “Finding Nemo”
The park screenings are free. The “dive-in” movie at the pool is $5 a person. Information: 562-383-4200.
James Gomez is a city councilman and La Habra mayor. Reach him at 714-738-5926.
