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New Restaurants Feature
Fast, Fresh and Healthful Foods
APRIL 2007
Two recent additions to Lancaster's growing menu of dining establishments
include a couple of “fast casual” entries worth your attention.
The Health Tree Coffee Lounge & Café on Avenue L offers a variety of
fresh salads and sandwiches, an espresso and juice bar.The atmosphere is
contemporary and casual with comfortable overstuffed chairs and sofas
sprinkled around more conventional table space.
COMING SOON
Upcoming Events in Lancaster
According to co-founder Todd Coleman, the idea sprang from his partner’s desire to
open a vitamin shop. “It just grew from there.We knew we wanted to be communityoriented.We are from here and know how people can complain about there being no place to go...
we decided to do something about it!” In addition to great food, the Health Tree offers live music on
weekends and free wi-fi for those who like to surf the net as they sip their smoothie.
April 7
Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza
Lancaster City Park, Big 8
Softball Complex, 9:30 am
The Southwestern salad is just
one of many tasty choices offered
by the Health Tree Coffee Lounge
and Cáfe.
The Lemon Leaf is a popular new downtown dining spot on Lancaster
Boulevard owned by Will Soper and Maria Elana Grado.The restaurant
offers a delicious selection of creative salads, sandwiches, pizza, pastries
and pastas in a spacious, airy dining room overlooking the Boulevard and
a tranquil Mediterranean mural.
During the dinner
hour, panini and wraps
give way to tasty
grilled brochettes
of chicken, shrimp
or lamb. Save room
for one of Marie
The Lemon Leaf
Elana’s “to die for”
desserts including
The Lemon Leaf’s signature lemon tart or an authentic Sicilian cannoli....mmmm.
Soper, a former culinary school instructor, says the founders wanted to bring
“real food back to the table.” To do so, they use fresh, high quality ingredients,
often imported, and prepare them in a unique Lemon Leaf style.
Health Tree – 2797 West Avenue L • 661-722-1101
Hours: 7 am - 10 pm Mon. - Fri. • 8 am - 10 pm Saturday • 9 am - 8 pm Sunday
Bishop Henry W. Hearns, Mayor
Ed Sileo,Vice Mayor
Jim Jeffra, Council Member
Ron Smith, Council Member
Andrew Visokey, Council Member
www.cityoflancasterca.org
April 21 & 22
California Poppy Festival
Lancaster City Park
10 am - 6 pm
With spring cleaning on every
“Honey-Do” list this time of
year, it’s important to keep in
mind these safety tips:
April 28
Lookin’ Good Lancaster
Spring Clean-up
Avenues J & J-4 between
25th and 26th Streets East
8 am - noon
CLOSE CALLS
Phone numbers to keep handy
Lancaster City Hall
661-723-6000
Public Safety Office
661-723-6063
Sheriff ’s Department
Emergency: 911
Non-emergency: 661-948-8466
Lancaster Community Services Foundation, Inc.
44933 Fern Avenue
Lancaster, CA 93534
U.S. Postage Paid
Presorted Standard
Lancaster CA
Permit No. 192
Robert S. LaSala, City Manager
Editor: Anne Aldrich
Photography: Dave Balian
April 16
Planning Commission Meeting
7 pm
April 24
City Council/Redevelopment
Agency Meeting, 6 pm
• Never use gasoline as a
solvent. Gas fumes can ignite
easily and create a catastrophe.
• Dispose of oily rags, paint cans and
other flammable items properly.
Leaving them lying around is
inviting an inferno.
• Keep cords in good repair. Don’t
use frayed or broken electrical
extensions when working with
power tools. A short could lead
to shocking results!
ECRWSS
POSTAL CUSTOMER
Nine Days
April 10
City Council/Redevelopment
Agency Meeting, 6 pm
L.A. County
Fire Department Safety Tips
Use Caution when Cleaning!
The Lemon Leaf – 653 West Lancaster Boulevard • 661-942-6500
Hours: 11 am - 9 pm Mon. - Thu. • 11 am - 10 pm Fri. & Sat. • Closed Sundays
CITY OFFICIALS
a glance at what’s happening in Lancaster
Poppy Festival
Group sales: 661-723-6077
Vendors: 661-723-6077
Volunteers: 661-723-6071
Lookin’ Good Lancaster
Volunteers: 661-723-5985
Waste Management:
661-947-7197
Recycling: 1-888-CLEAN LA
Join us for a weekend of music, art, food
and fun at Lancaster’s 16th Annual
California Poppy Festival.
Featuring:
Nine Days – Saturday, 1:30 pm
Marion Meadows – Sunday, 1:30 pm
Wayman Tisdale – Sunday, 3:30 pm
Plus endless hours of entertainment
for the entire family.
w w w. p o p py f e s t i v a l . c o m
Marion Meadows
Wayman Tisdale
Admission:
$7 Adults • $4 Children & Seniors
Kids 5 and under FREE
For group sales, please call 661-723-6077.
Volunteer for Community
Spring Cleaning
Mark your calendars – April 28th is the date set for the 8th Annual
Lookin’ Good Lancaster event. Scores of students, parents and community
volunteers will be on hand to help beautify neighborhoods.The City
is helping residents to plant trees, pick up litter, eliminate weeds and
graffiti and create new pride within the community.
Waste Management will provide large trash
containers for neighborhoods wanting to spruce
up for spring. As a part of the Tire Amnesty
program, the City’s Maintenance Yard at 615
West Avenue H will provide a free drop off point
for old tires from 9 am to 3 pm.
This year’s target area for beautification is located
along Avenues J and J-4 between 25th and 26th
Streets East, from 8 am to noon.
Lancaster is on the GO!
Are you in the KNOW?
Adventure, anyone?
Did you know that there are more than 200
adventure sports that you can enjoy within
100 miles of Lancaster? Come check out the
Poppy Festival’s Healthy Living area where you
can explore everything from scuba diving to
whitewater adventures.
Youth and church groups, business organizations and others wanting to roll-up their sleeves to
make Lancaster a better place are invited to call 661-723-5985 to volunteer, or register online at
www.cityoflancasterca.org
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&
asked
answered
responses to your recent questions
When do local baseball games
start at Clear Channel Stadium?
The Lancaster JetHawks kick off their first
season with their new parent club, the
Boston Red Sox, on April 5th. New theme
days, special giveaways, and seven fireworks
shows are all part of the fun. Be a part of
JetHawks Nation with ticket plans starting
at just $50 by calling 661-726-5400 or
visiting www.jethawks.com
LPAC
inside
Community Comes Together
to Solve Crimes
A City@Work
Crime Stopping Initiatives
Under the new Crime Stopping
Initiatives (CSI), residents can earn
$1,000 for information that helps solve
property crimes. Observant residents have already received rewards by helping lock
up criminals involved in local burglaries.
Always call 911 to report a crime in progress, but to provide information after the
fact that may lead to an arrest, call the CSI hotline at 661-948-COPS.
Profiles of Public People
Erika Figueroa Gives Public Works a Friendly, Helpful Face
Her smile is contagious, her attitude exemplary and her work ethic
simply wonderful.That’s why the Public Works Department selected
Erika Figueroa as their Spotlight Employee.
Erika Figueroa
Your City has also made reporting minor crimes quicker and easier. Now in less
time than it takes to drive to the Sheriff’s Station, you can file a crime report at
www.cityoflancasterca.org.The process is simple and provides the documentation
required to claim a loss for insurance or tax purposes. Online reporting is intended
for losses of less than $5,000 without forced entry. For more serious incidents, call
the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station at 661-948-8466.
Special thanks are due to Antelope Valley media organizations that have helped spread
the word on CSI: Lancaster. Clear Channel AV, High Desert Broadcasting AV and
Time Warner Cable AV have all contributed generously.Thanks to them and all
concerned citizens who have become an important part of the CSI: Lancaster team.
Erika has worked with the
Department for the last three
years and recently received a
promotion to Secretary I.
She works with the Capital
Engineering section which
is responsible for developing
specifications and bids for the
City’s multi-million dollar capital
improvement budget.
She frequently is seen providing counter and phone support for
Spanish-speaking customers and has a knack for bringing out the best
in all those she serves.
When she isn’t busy helping customers and colleagues, Erika enjoys
participating in the theater. She played Maria in West Side Story and
had roles in local productions of Guys and Dolls, Li’l Abner and Beauty
and the Beast. Her next goal is to take on a dramatic role outside of
a musical.
There’s a trick to growing Golden Poppies.You need to
convince them they’re at home...right here in Lancaster.
Poppies get their start in our cool, crisp winters. So ask Mom
or Dad for an old ice cube tray and put one or two seeds in each
compartment, top it off with water and let it stay in the freezer for a month or so.
In the award-winning Thwak!, the Umbilical
Brothers combine mime with hilarious dialogue,
vocal sound effects, slapstick and audience
participation to draw you into a surreal comic
world of invisible dogs, car chases, puppets,
slo-mo and underwater action and duels of both
the quick-draw and tap-dancing variety. Perfect
for the whole family.
Tickets are available from the LPAC box office.
For more information, call 661-723-5950 or
visit www.lpac.org
As the sun shines down, the ice will melt, leading your seeds to believe that the rains have
come. Soon, they too will feel the warmth of the sun and be ready to pop up and bask in
our beautiful, golden sunshine that helps them grow.
Four seasons make Lancaster very special and the perfect place for Golden Poppies to grow!
Let’s make Lancaster Better, Together!
Offer your ideas and innovations on how government and citizenry
can work together to create a better Lancaster. Contact us online
at www.cityoflancasterca.org. Just click on the “Contact Us” link in
the upper right corner of the page.
Check out the new City website at www.cityoflancaster.org.
Please fill out the survey and tell us what you think!
A
Poppy Festival Parking
AF
E
S
IVER
Friday, April 20
All seats $25 • $15 Special Youth Price!
Local citizens will have an opportunity to have their
voices heard as future land use scenarios are analyzed
as a part of the General Plan Update process.
Two sessions are scheduled:
Thursday, April 26 • 7 to 9 pm
Stanley Kleiner Activity Center at Lancaster City Park
43011 North 10th Street West
Saturday, April 28 • 10 am to noon
Anna M. Davis meeting room at the Lancaster Library
601 West Lancaster Boulevard
For more information about these and other General
Plan events, visit www.lancaster2030.info or contact
Dave Ledbetter in the Planning Department at
661-723-6248.
Spring into Action
TIPS FO
RS
DR
The Umbilical Brothers THWAK!
Once you’ve fooled the seeds with a frosty winter in the freezer, it’s time for them to
experience our spring showers.Take your ice cubes out of the freezer and find a sunny
spot in the back yard. Dig a little hole in the soil and place your Poppy-sicle inside. Cover
it over with dirt and wait a few weeks.
Congratulations, Erika.Thanks for setting such a great example of
customer service in Public Works.
Planning
Workshops
to Discuss
Future
Land Use
Each year, thousands of residents and
visitors flock to Lancaster’s California Poppy
Festival. With a little planning and patience,
parking at the event can be easy for everyone.
• Follow instructions of uniformed personnel.They are there to help.
• Watch for pedestrians, particularly children.Take your own children’s
hands when walking to and from Festival grounds.
• Trams are available to transport you from outer parking areas, so don’t
worry about the walk.
• Allow yourself plenty of time, so you won’t be rushed or frustrated by
any delay.
• Parking is available to residents with special needs with appropriate
placards or plates on the west side of 10th Street West, adjacent to the
activities building. Wheelchairs may be rented inside the gate for $10.
A reminder to all homeowners and landlords within the
City of Lancaster: Municipal codes require
you to maintain your housing in a safe
and clean condition.Violations can lead
to fines, even court action.
Take advantage of the Lookin’ Good
Lancaster program coming up April 28th
to clean up your property and help your
neighbors do the same.
Waste Management is working with the
City to provide receptacles for both trash
and green waste during the clean-up.
For more information, please
call 661-723-5985.