Yearly Archives: 2008

It’s Not Too Late To Vaccinate

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health is urging all residents to get a flu shot or the FluMist nasal spray vaccine if they have not done so already. Flu season can last until spring, so it is not too late to vaccinate against the flu.

Many people mistakenly believe that there is no benefit to getting a flu vaccine after November, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. In fact, influenza activity does not often peak until after the start of the new year and can continue through March, so vaccinations received in December provide protection at the time when people are most likely to catch the flu. Free flu vaccines continue to be offered through our Public Health clinics for those that do not have a regular doctor or insurance coverage.

Each year in the United States, between 5 and 20 percent of the population is infected with influenza, a serious disease that can lead to complications including pneumonia, hospitalization, and even death. In Los Angeles County in 2005, flu and pneumonia complications led to over 2,000 deaths. The flu also has a significant day-to-day impact on families and communities, leading to missed days of work and school, hardships for family care givers, and preventing people from participating in the activities they enjoy.

Yearly flu vaccinations are the best way to prevent influenza. The vaccine can prevent 70-90% of cases in healthy adults under 65 years of age. The vaccine is safe and does not cause the flu. Some minor side effects can occur, signaling that the immune system is responding to the vaccine and building immunity. Such side effects, which usually last only 1 to 2 days, include soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given; a low-grade fever; and aches and pains. These side effects are minor and are far less risky than suffering through the flu.

Residents are encouraged to first contact their regular doctor for recommended vaccinations. Those who do not have a regular doctor or insurance coverage for vaccines may be eligible for reduced-cost or no-cost vaccines. Free flu vaccines are readily available in LA County, and the traditional shot, FluMist nasal spray vaccine and thimerosal-free (preservative-free) vaccine continues to be offered through Public Health clinics, while supplies last. To find a Public Health clinic near you, contact LA County’s information line at 2-1-1 from any land line or cell phone.

For information on the web regarding low-cost flu vaccines through a health care organization or other vaccination clinic, visit the Public Health Immunization Program’s website by clicking here or at www.findaflushot.com

“A Day Without A Bag” In Los Angeles County

To reduce the impact of litter on the environment from single-use carryout bags, such as plastic- and paper-bags used at stores, the County of Los Angeles joined Heal the Bay in supporting A Day Without A Bag Countywide on December 18, 2008.

This year’s event marked the second, and there will be many more to come. On December 2, 2008, the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution proclaiming the third Thursday of December, each year, as A Day Without a Bag throughout Los Angeles County, urging shoppers to forgo single-use carryout bags in favor of reusable bags.

Each year over six billion plastic bags are distributed in the County of Los Angeles with too many ending up as litter, negatively impacting marine life and the environment. Paper bags are not the best alternative since they’re heavier and could be even more contributive to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than plastic bags. The most environmentally favorable alternative is for shoppers to bring their own reusable bags to stores.

Heal the Bay gave away thousands of reusable bags at various locations throughout the County on December 18th. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works contributed 5,000 of their popular Brag About Your Bag, totes as giveaways for the day. To find out more about A Day Without A Bag and giveaway locations click here.
For information about the County of Los Angeles’ Single Use Bag Reduction and Recycling Program, click here or call 1(888) CLEAN LA.

Supervisors Want Explanation On Future Of Palmdale Airport

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and Board Chairman Don Knabe, directing the County’s Chief Executive Officer to prepare a formal request to Los Angeles World Airports, the Board of Airport Commissioners, and the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, to explain its plans for the undeveloped property adjacent to the Palmdale Airport.

This vital property is not being utilized as was promised when it was taken by eminent domain from property owners over 40 years ago, said Supervisor Antonovich. The City of Los Angeles has an obligation to explain fully its plans for using the property.

For four decades, this land has been sitting vacant, not being used for the development of another critically-needed regional commercial airport, which was the intended use of this land, said Supervisor Knabe. Today’s action will hopefully get us some answers about how this vital facility will be used for regionalizing commercial air traffic.

In the 1960s, the Los Angeles City Airport Commission acquired Ontario Airport, the 17,000-acre Palmdale airport site, and later contracted with the United States Air Force for Palmdale’s Plant 42’s runway and air terminal, for a regional airport network to meet future population needs. To date, the City’s Los Angeles World Airports Department has failed to develop this property.

LA County Celebrates 25 Years Of Trauma Services

December 2008 marks the 25th anniversary of Los Angeles County’s trauma system. Nearly 400,000 critically injured trauma patients have been treated in local trauma centers since the first trauma centers were designated in 1983. Traumatic injuries continue to be the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 44.

Critically injured trauma patients include those who require immediate life-saving surgical intervention because of major blood loss or shock as a result of motor vehicle crashes, gunshot or knife wounds, falls, or other violent accidents. These patients are brought by ambulance directly to a trauma center for specialized care rather than being transported to the nearest emergency room.

Unlike regular community hospitals, trauma centers maintain an entire team of specialized medical personnel, including a trauma surgeon, who are available 24 hours a day to ensure that life-threatening injuries to be treated at a moment’s notice. There are currently 13 trauma centers in Los Angeles County, making it the largest organized trauma system in the country.

As we saw during the recent train collision in Chatsworth, trauma centers are crucial to disaster response, says Cathy Chidester, Director of the Emergency Medical Services Agency. There are four to five multi-casualty incidents every month in the county, where critically injured victims are taken to a trauma center.

Over the past 25 years, the number of trauma patients treated annually has grown from 15,138 in 1984, to 19,481 in 2007. The most recent data shows that males have more traumatic injuries than females (14,584 males vs. 4,897 females) and that the top five mechanisms of injury are: motor vehicle crashes (5,039), falls (4,045), auto vs. pedestrian/bicycle (2,947), gunshot wounds (2,366), and motorcycle crashes (1,339). Out of 19,481 trauma patients, nearly 1,800 were pediatric.

Trauma System History

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors officially designated the first eight trauma centers on December 15, 1983. The system grew to a peak in 1985 with a total of 22 designated trauma centers. The county currently has 13 trauma centers.

During the initial period of growth, there were many perceived advantages in seeking trauma center designation, such as marketing advantages, prestige, and favorable impact on post-graduate training programs. However, it quickly became evident that the perceived benefits were not enough to offset the high levels of uncompensated care for trauma patients.

The decline of trauma centers was finally halted with the implementation of secure trauma catchment areas, which helped keep patient numbers high enough for trauma centers to maintain high-quality training programs, and the Board of Supervisors’ decision to allocate newly available Proposition 99 tobacco tax monies to offset the trauma centers’ financial losses.

Additionally, the recent stability of the trauma system network is largely due to the voter-approved special parcel tax (called Measure B: Trauma, Emergency and Bioterrorism Response Assessment) that was approved in 2002. Part of the money that is collected allows the county to maintain and enhance the trauma network.

The trauma system has proven to be cost effective because it lowers mortality and morbidity rates, decreases permanent disabilities, and decreases the number of productive years lost to society, says Chidester. More importantly, the system saves lives every day by providing highly specialized care for the most life-threatening injuries.

District Attorney Targets “Spoofcard” Voicemail Sabotage

A New Jersey firm that provided customers unauthorized access to the cell phone voicemails of others through a software program called SpoofCard and two cellular providers agreed to permanent injunctions banning misrepresentations of cell phone security and the legality of the spoofing system.

The civil actions culminated an investigation by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation that began last year after a citizen complained of unauthorized cell phone voicemail access.

These cases illustrate how deeply new technology and misuse of it can affect the lives of consumers, said District Attorney Steve Cooley in a written statement. The software program that was advertised as ‘legal in 50 states’ was not legal in California and some other states.

Our investigators found that cellular providers who claimed their systems were safe from such sabotage were wrong, he added. Cell phones purchased by undercover investigators were easily hacked into, enabling the voicemail to be changed at will by use of the spoofing system.

Hacking into voicemail allowed messages to be changed or erased. Important information could be removed from the voicemail and phony information could be inserted. Imagine the havoc that could result, Cooley added.

The civil actions were settled without admissions of wrongdoing by the parties, said Deputy District Attorney Thomas R. Wenke of the Consumer Protection Division, who handled the cases against TelTech Systems Inc., doing business as SpoofCard, Love Detect and Liar Card; AT&T Mobility, LLC; and T-Mobile USA, Inc. All are Delaware corporations. TelTech is headquarted in New Jersey; AT&T Mobility in Atlanta, Georgia; and T-Mobile in Bellevue, Washington.

Wenke said the TelTech injunction prohibits misrepresentations about the legality of the use of TelTech technology. The AT&T and T-Mobile injunctions ban the firms from making specified misrepresentations about the security of their cell phone systems.

TelTech agreed to pay a total of $33,000 as investigation costs and civil penalties. AT&T agreed to pay a total of $59,300 and T-Mobile to $25,000. Investigators from both the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection and High Tech Crime divisions worked on the cases.

Wenke said the firms and their attorneys were cooperative in reaching a mutually agreeable resolution to the civil actions. Each of the firms has taken corrective action, he added.

Santa Returns To Whittier Parks

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will join Mr. and Mrs. Claus and other special passengers on Thursday, December 18 when they board the Here Comes Santa Holiday Train – an annual event that brings presents and fun in the snow to three locations in the Whittier area.

Every year this is a great occasion for families to come down and enjoy the spirit of the Holidays, said Supervisor Knabe. The kids have a great time visiting with Santa and playing in thousands of pounds of real snow.

The Holiday Train pulls into its first stop on December 18 at Amigo Park at 3:30 p.m., and then makes a stop at Parnell Park at 5:00 p.m.; finally it’s off to Adventure Park at 6:30 p.m. At each stop children will receive presents, get a chance to take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus play in real snow. Over 3,000 children, parents and community members are expected to attend throughout the night.

Here Comes Santa Holiday Train Locations:

3:30 p.m. @ Amigo Park, 5700 Juarez Avenue, Whittier, 90606

5:00 p.m. @ Parnell Park, 10711 Scott Avenue, Whittier, 90604

6:30 p.m. @ Adventure Park, 10130 South Gunn, Whittier, 90605

Holiday Celebration At The Music Center Is The County’s Biggest Holiday Show

A free, six-hour holiday spectacular of music, song and dance will unfold on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center on Wednesday, December 24, from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. It’s the 49th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, L.A. County’s biggest holiday show, featuring more than 40 musical ensembles, choirs, and dance companies. Five of the groups scheduled to perform are from the Fourth District:

Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers (Hermosa Beach)
Backhaus Dance (Long Beach)

Dengue Fever (Long Beach)

Inspirational Voices of Free! (San Pedro)

South Bay Ballet (Long Beach)

The Holiday Celebration, which reflects the rich mosaic of cultures found in Southern California, is the County’s yearly gift to local residents. Admission is free and also includes free parking under the Music Center. Reservations are not necessary. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Patrons may come and go throughout the six hour performance. Complete program information will be available after December 7 at www.holidaycelebration.org and (213) 972-3099. Those who can’t make it to the Music Center can watch the live broadcast of the Holiday Celebration on KCET.

Knabe Advocating For Infrastructure Funding

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is in Washington, D.C. today meeting with legislative leaders about local infrastructure improvements as part of the federal stimulus debate for a nationwide, multibillion dollar investment in public works projects.

Included in Supervisor Knabe’s schedule today are meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers, the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. In addition to discussing County infrastructure projects, Knabe was also advocating for projects that would benefit Metro and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Although the details of a federal economic stimulus package are only in discussion, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works still has over $485 million in infrastructure improvements projects ready to begin if a national public works investment becomes a reality. Other County agencies, including the Department of Beaches and Harbors and the Department of Parks and Recreation have also identified tens of millions of dollars in additional projects.

Included in the list of proposed local projects are $28.1 million in improvements to the County’s five general aviation airports, $122.3 million in road improvements spread over 80 separate projects that would resurface dozens of miles of County roads, $258 million in watershed and flood control projects, and $76 million in green technology and environmental improvements.

Among the largest proposals is a $20 million plan to replace residential water meters with wireless water meters, eliminating the need to drive to 65,000 homes monthly to read water meters. The wireless infrastructure will eliminate the pollution associated with driving the required 141,786 miles and 6,000 gallons of fuel annually. A $35 million project would create wetlands to treat stormwater runoff from 2.2 square miles of the Sun Valley Watershed on a 46-acre site while incorporating open space, habitat and recreation. The treated stormwater will be recharged in to the underground aquifer in Sun Valley.

"A large-scale national investment in infrastructure improvements could have the serious positive impact our economy needs, said Supervisor Knabe. Our plan for Los Angeles County will benefit the public, and more importantly create numerous jobs and businesses locally.

County’s Department Of Animal Care And Control Joins Nationwide Adoption Program

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC) is participating in the nation-wide Iams Home 4 the Holidays 2008 adoption program. The Iams Company, together with the Helen Woodward Animal Center, and 3,000 worldwide pet adoption programs (including DACC) will come together to reach the ambitious goal of 1 million pet adoptions by January 5, 2009.

Since the birth of the Iams Home 4 the Holidays program in 1999, more than 2 million pets have been adopted. The program initially started with only 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego. To date, there are now 3,000 animal shelters and organizations in 15 countries around the globe assisting in placing animals into new homes. This year, award-winning actress Felicity Huffman will serve as the North American-Ambassador to raise awareness about the significance of adopting an animal from a shelter.

DACC employees and volunteers encourage everyone to visit one of the six animal shelters and adopt a shelter pet this holiday season. All six County animal shelters have an extensive variety of animals to choose. Dogs, cats, and other animals of all sizes, colors, and breeds are available for adoption today. Most people don’t know that about a quarter of all dogs in an animal shelter are purebreds. Adopters can help us to reach the 1 million pet adoption goal now through January 5, 2009. All pets adopted during this promotion will receive a starter kit including samples, coupons, and other helpful pet information.

Shelter Locations & Hours:

Downey Shelter Hours:

11258 S. Garfield Avenue Monday-Thursday 12:00PM.-7:00PM

Downey, CA 90242 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(562) 940-6898 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Carson Shelter Hours:

216 W. Victoria Street Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Carson, CA 90248 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(310) 523-9566 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Baldwin Park Shelter Hours:

4275 N. Elton Street Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Baldwin Park, CA 91706 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(626) 962-3577 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Lancaster Shelter Hours:

5210 W. Avenue I Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Lancaster, CA 93536 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(661) 940-4191 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Castaic Shelter Hours:

31044 N. Charlie Canyon Road Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Castaic, CA 91384 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(661) 257-3191 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Agoura Shelter Hours:

29525 Agoura Road Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 9:00AM-5:00PM

Agoura, CA 91301 Wednesday 9:00AM-7:00PM

(818) 991-0071 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Supervisor Don Knabe’s Board of Supervisors Chairman’s Speech

Thank you. Even though she’s now officially enjoying retirement, I’d first like to begin by thanking Supervisor Burke for her service as Chair of the Board over this last year.

Her many years leadership and grace guided the County through very challenging times and all of us appreciate her work on behalf of the 10 million people that call our County home.

Now looking towards the future, it is my privilege to welcome our new colleague, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

I thank you again for the invitation to speak at your swearing-in ceremony yesterday and I look forward to working with you.

I am certain that your talents and passion on the issues will be of great benefit to this Board in the years ahead.

If there is ever anything my staff or I can do for you or your staff, please don’t hesitate to ask.

I would also like to thank my colleagues on the Board for this opportunity to once again serve as Chairman.

We have been through a lot as a board over the last several years, the ongoing health care crisis, the state budget crunch and labor negotiations.

And I know we have many more challenging days ahead of us.

But I believe that if we continue to work together as a strong, cohesive group, we will get the job done.

I appreciate the efforts of Sachi and the Board of Supervisors Executive Office staff and that of our CEO, Bill Fujioka and his staff.

I look forward to working with every one of our departments as we chart the course for the County of Los Angeles over the next year.

In my opinion, charting that course is straightforward and uncomplicated.

It doesn’t require long speeches, rhetoric, or partisanship.

As we establish the vision of this Board and this County for the year ahead, I want to remind everyone that the answers to some of life’s most complicated questions are rooted in common sense solutions.

I believe the same can be said for the challenges that face Los Angeles County.

We need to ask ourselves:

Are we being thrifty with County tax dollars?

Are we being helpful and courteous to the customers of

County government?

Are we prepared to meet the needs of our citizens and seize new opportunities when they surface?

And are we brave enough to make the hard decisions even when they are not popular or politically advantageous?

I want to commit to you now as Chairman of the Board, the answers to those questions will be yes.

I also pledge that there will not be a Democrat or Republican solution to the challenges faced the County in the year ahead.

But, there will only be solutions that benefit our customers… the taxpayers and residents of Los Angeles County.

There is no denying that the current economic challenges facing our nation also going to have a significant impact on the County of Los Angeles.

With that in mind, I am not going to lay out a list of goals or projects for you today that I intend to achieve this year.

As it is, we face a myriad of tough decisions to ensure our County will continue to be the excellent service provider it has been in years past.

The one critical goal I do want to address today is in the area of healthcare.

As a Board we must continue to work with the Department of Health to solve their predicted budget deficit in the coming years.

I have said it before and I will say it again, we need to re-prioritize and find creative solutions to health care to make the system work and work efficiently.

And a critical part of ensuring our healthcare system is working efficiently is ensuring that we get MLK Hospital back on its feet and back open for business, serving the critically underserved residents of South Los Angeles.

In just a few weeks, our County leaders will begin working with a new Legislature, a new Congress, and a new White House.

But regardless of the party affiliation of our new leaders – our attitude of working together must transcend party lines.

As Chairman of this Board of Supervisors, I assure you I will be working hand-in-hand with elected officials from every level of government, no matter what political party they may be affiliated with, to find solutions to our challenges.

It is from this effort that we can forge an environment where Los Angeles County can continue to flourish.

As I said during my own swearing-in ceremony ten days ago, an attitude openness and cooperation must exist across our entire County workforce – from management, to the individual departments, to the thousands of employees represented by our Union partners.

Cooperation thrives in a climate of open, honest dialogue.

Political rhetoric for the sake of private goals pollutes the atmosphere and blocks out progress.

Our competition is NOT with each other, or the next County, or the other party.

Instead, the competition is to ensure the success and ensure the future of Los Angeles County.

My friends, we have a lot of work to do.

Let’s begin now.

Thank you.