Happy March! We are quickly swinging into spring this year!

In this March R-Guide, we discuss a little about how Women's History Month came to be and share ways you can celebrate this year. We also share a hidden gem of a fun fact about Kinner Field in South Gate. This is definitely another story that proves SELA is very special community. MiJa Books is also highlighted for the work they do to provide kids and their families a more inclusive and diverse world of reading. Finally, I announce the 63rd Assembly District Woman of the Year.

I hope you enjoy this month's R-Guide issue.

"My ambition is to have this wonderful gift produce practical results for the future of commercial flying and for the women who may want to fly tomorrow's planes." - Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was an aviation pioneer. She was the first woman aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and first person ever to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S mainland. Her mysterious disappearance while flying over Howland Island in the Pacific on July 2, 1937 was preceded by numerous aviation records for women.

But where did Amelia start?

Earhart's first encounter with flying was in December 1920 at Daugherty Field in Long Beach, where her father paid $10 so she could take a 10 minute airplane ride. After this, she was determined to learn how to fly.

Her first ever lessons began on January 3, 1921 right here in #AD63 at Kinner Field in South Gate. Kinner Field was also the first municipally-owned airfield in the Los Angeles Area. At Kinner Field, Amelia took lessons from another pioneer female aviator Anita "Neta" Snook.

Earhart would earn her pilot's license the following year and soon become an aviation icon.

Amelia and Anita at Kinner Field in South Gate, CA (National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution)

Located at the Lakewood Center, MiJa Books is a multicultural children's bookstore and gift shop for everyone!

MiJa Books was founded by wife-and-husband team Stephanie and Muammar Reed, whose mission is "to find and showcase multicultural and diverse children's books. And to create a platform for indie and self-publishers to reach a greater audience."

According to their site regarding their name, the meaning of the portmanteau "MiJa" is two-fold: it is an amalgamation of the first two letters of their daughter's first and middle name. The name takes on double duty as its also the colloquial word for "daughter," mija, in Stephanie's ancestral language, Spanish.

In the past, they have hosted meet-and-greet with authors, book drives, and multicultural live storytellings. Their online YouTube channel discusses and shares Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, non-english books, as well as other diverse and inclusive stories.

You can find more on MiJa Books on their website mijabooks.com. We are lucky to have MiJa Books in AD63!

MiJa Books - Lakewood Center Mall (video)

I am excited to announce that the 2022 63rd Assembly District Woman of the Year is Daisy Prieto.

Daisy Prieto, a Los Angeles native, is a Financial Analyst for BuildLACCD at Los Angeles Southwest College. Daisy has 20 years of dedicated work in construction project management in both the public and private sectors.

Daisy has a passion for service. After moving to the City of South Gate in 2006, she volunteered her time at community events and became an active member of her local parish. In 2013, she helped start Girl Scout Troop 16325 to help mentor young girls and guide them in becoming active members in their communities. She has been a troop leader for 9 yrs. and continues to make a positive impact in the lives of young girls through Girl Scout leadership.

In 2014, she joined the local Relay for Life event in South Gate as a team captain where she led her team of Girl Scouts in fundraising efforts to help benefit the American Cancer Society. She has helped raise thousands of dollars for this cause and continues the tradition of advocating in the fight against cancer.

Daisy's dedication to the community is long standing. Aside from all the volunteer work she has done, she joined the South Gate Kiwanis club in 2020 and became president during its inaugural year. She led the club through a year of service during an unprecedented pandemic. She helped organize over 40 community service events and helped raise thousands of dollars in donations for the youth and the community of South Gate.

When Daisy is not volunteering, she is spending time with her husband and two children. She is a big Los Angeles Dodgers fan and enjoys attending ball games with her family.

Thank you Daisy for all of the amazing work and service you do in our community!