Yearly Archives: 2008

Taste Of The Heights Festival Returns To Pathfinder Park In Rowland Heights

Supervisor Don Knabe, in conjunction with the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association, Rowland Heights Coordinating Council, local community groups, local businesses, sponsors and the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation will host the 5th Annual Taste of The Heights Festival at Pathfinder Park.

The Taste of The Heights, which has been established as a featured annual event in Rowland Heights, is a fun evening under the stars with food, wine tasting, and the smooth sounds of jazz. The Taste of The Heights Festival will showcase fine food from local restaurants to demonstrate the cultural diversity of the Heights. Each restaurant will provide an array of their most exquisite food entrees for patrons to sample. There will also be a Children’s Fun Zone featuring games, crafts, a puppet show, and much more.

The festival will be held on Wednesday, May 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Pathfinder Community Regional Park, which is located at 18150 East Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights. For ticket sales and information contact (626) 333-1369. Children under 6 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Construction Set To Begin On Dockweiler State Beach Youth Center

Over four miles of the Marvin Braude South Bay Bike Trail will soon be refurbished or completely rebuilt after Supervisor Don Knabe agreed to fund the project with $5 million in Fourth District Capital Improvement funds. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project today.

The portions of the bike path to be renovated are located between Culver Boulevard in Playa del Rey and Calle Miramar in Torrance. The project involves removing damaged Portland Cement Concrete (Cement) and Asphalt Concrete (Asphalt) and reconstructing those portions of the bike path with similar materials. Also, slurry and crack sealing will be used when complete restructuring is not necessary. The project will now go out to bid, and construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2009. Over 21,000 feet, over just over 4 miles of the bike path will be repaired or reconstructed.

The Marvin Braude Bike Trail stretches nearly 22 miles between Will Rogers State Beach and Torrance County Beach, with most of the path running along public beaches. This past March, the County completed the renovation of a portion of the bike path is located between 62nd Avenue and Culver Boulevard in the Playa del Rey community of the City of Los Angeles.

It is important that the bike paths running along public beaches are safe, said Supervisor Knabe. I am glad to fund improvements that will enhance the safety and increase enjoyment of the numerous residents and visitors who use the Marvin Braude Bike Trail.

Project Details

– Culver Boulevard to 38 feet north of Grand Avenue

1. Reconstruct approximately 9,000 feet of cement pavement

2. Reconstruct or slurry approximately 800 feet of asphalt pavement

– 38 feet north of Grand Avenue to 45th Street

1. Reconstruct approximately 1,000 feet of asphalt pavement

2. Slurry approximately 4,510 feet of asphalt pavement

– 45th Street to 1st Street

1. Reconstruct approximately 800 feet of asphalt pavement

– Torrance Loop to 3,960 feet south of Torrance Loop

1. Reconstruct approximately 1,000 feet of asphalt pavement

2. Slurry approximately 3,960 feet of asphalt pavement

– 3,960 feet south of Torrance Loop to Calle Miramar

1. Reconstruct approximately 100 feet of cement pavement

Hawaiian Gardens Library Is Moving

The Hawaiian Gardens Library is moving and will open at a new site in Hawaiian Gardens this summer. The last day of service to the public at the current location was Saturday, May 10, 2008.

The nearest County libraries for customers seeking library service are at the following public libraries:

Artesia Library – 18722 South Clarkdale Avenue in the City of Artesia

George Nye, Jr. Library – 6600 Del Amo Boulevard in the City of Lakewood

During the relocation period, customers may return books to a bookdrop located at Hawaiian Gardens City Hall, 21815 Pioneer Boulevard, or to any other County library.

The new Hawaiian Gardens Library will include self-checkout machines for customer self-service, new library book shelving; new furniture; new computers; and exterior book drops. The project is being funded by the City of Hawaiian Gardens.

The Hawaiian Gardens Library is part of the County of Los Angeles Public Library. For additional information, please call (562) 940-8415 or visit the County Library Web site at
www.colapublib.org

Historic Wetlands Project Complete Along Los Angeles River In Long Beach

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe joined other local elected officials this week for the opening of the Dominguez Gap Wetlands in Long Beach. The $7 million treatment wetlands and spreading grounds project is the latest in a series of regional, multi-benefit projects implemented by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. At peak capacity, the new wetlands will naturally remove pollutants and other harmful chemicals from over one million gallons of storm water every day, before that water reaches the ocean or returns to the ground water supply.

The wetlands project is the first of its kind in Los Angeles County. It maintains the integrity of flood protection along the urban lower reaches of the Los Angeles River, while introducing new water quality elements, groundwater recharge, restoration of native habitat, pedestrian and equestrian trails, environmental education, and river bike trail enhancements.

The project encompassed extensive renovation of two preexisting Flood Control District spreading grounds, located along both the east and west sides of the Los Angeles River between Del Amo Blvd. and the 405 Freeway.

Enhancements to the 37-acre East Basin include one mile of constructed, treatment wetlands, pedestrian and horseback trails, two bird observation decks, woodland and riparian habitat, and a bike trail rest station. The wetlands are designed to naturally treat from 2-3 cubic feet per second (1.3 to 3.2 million gallons a day) of storm water and urban runoff, the rough equivalent of five Olympic-size swimming pools. The result will be a significant reduction in the amount of pollution, heavy metals, organic carbons, and oil and greases found in runoff within the system. Trash booms will collect floatable trash, allowing it to be removed before it can foul the wetlands. Once treated, the runoff will be moved underneath the Los Angeles River by a pump system to the project’s West Basin for groundwater recharge.

The 15-acre West Basin remains a functional spreading ground that, with new project improvements, will allow as much as 450 acre-feet a year of water to permeate into the underground aquifer of the West Coast Groundwater Basin. In simplified terms, one acre-foot of water is approximately the volume of a football field filled one foot deep with water. Both the East and West basin areas are lush with a plant palette of shrubs, trees, brush and wildflowers native to the lower Los Angeles River, selected especially for this project by the County’s project consultant, CH2M Hill.

Historically, the Los Angeles River has been impaired by pollutants from local and regional storm drains that carry storm water and urban runoff away from city streets and communities within the Los Angeles River Watershed. Polluted runoff is the result of harmful human activities like littering, illegally dumping lawn clippings and automobile fluids into catch basins, and over-watering lawns. These activities, among others, have led to stringent federal regulations (known as Total Maximum Daily Load allocations or TMDLs) that restrict the amount of trash and other pollutants that may enter designated receiving waters. By 2016, cities and County areas within the Los Angeles River Watershed must effectively have zero trash going into the Los Angeles River.

This is a great day for Los Angeles County and for its water quality partners, said Supervisor Don Knabe. The project’s open space, water quality improvements, and groundwater recharge make it a cost-effective solution for addressing some of the County’s toughest regional issues.

South Coast Botanic Gardens Will Receive New Security Fencing To Prevent Graffiti

The South Coast Botanic Gardens on the Palos Verdes Peninsula will receive a new chain link fence along Rolling Hills Road and the horse trail, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The Security Fencing Graffiti Prevention Project will increase security and make the garden less accessible to graffiti and vandalism. The goal is to protect the collection of rare and unusual trees and plants at the South Coast Botanic Gardens.

The estimated total project cost is $101,000, and is funded by Proposition A Competitive Excess Grant Funds in the amount of $85,000 with the remaining $16,000 coming from the South Coast Botanic Gardens Special Development Fund. The anticipated completion date is September 2008.

Funding Continues For Fourth District Paratransit Shuttle Service

Supervisor Don Knabe today announced that the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $608,000 in funding for the continuation of paratransit shuttle service for eligible patrons in the unincorporated areas of the Fourth District for Fiscal Year 2008-2009.

The program will include the following paratransit shuttle services: La Rambla, Marina del Rey, Rancho Los Amigos, Teen Mother, and the Whittier Islands.

I am pleased to be able to secure the funds for this service, said Supervisor Knabe. Many of our transit dependent residents utilize public transportation and these shuttle services are a vital component of their livelihood.

The County will provide funding through the Fourth District’s Proposition A Local Return Transit Program. The financing continues the successful shuttle service for eligible patrons of the unincorporated areas of the Fourth District, improving mobility for transit dependant patrons.

Avalon Lifeguard and Paramedic

Station
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a $5.423 million project to construct a state-of-the-art lifeguard and paramedic headquarters building in the City of Avalon on Catalina Island. Of the $5.423 million total budget, $3.924 million was awarded to AMG Associates, Inc., for the construction contract, while the remaining funds will be used for project management costs, furnishing and equipping the building, and a public art project for the exterior of the building.

The proposed project is a two-story, 7,005 square foot lifeguard/paramedic station, which consists of a two-bay apparatus area for housing a paramedic truck, a utility vehicle and watercraft trailers; an office with storage rooms; and a reception area with a public restroom.

The Avalon Lifeguard facility will also have one unique feature among all of the County’s similar buildings. This will be the first to include dormitory space for workers, which will consist of a living room, kitchen, dining room and bedroom space for up to eight personnel. County lifeguards on Catalina Island are on-call for 24-hour periods, meaning that anyone stationed in Avalon must secure housing in the City’s limited and expensive housing market. With the new building, lifeguards will be able to complete their shifts without having to acquire housing off-site.

The new building will be constructed on a parcel of land adjacent to City Hall that was donated to the County by the City of Avalon. Construction is scheduled to be completed by summer 2009.

Drop Pounds By Adding Information

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has released a study that for the first time shows posting calorie information on menus and menu boards at large chain restaurants (with 15 or more outlets in California) could have a significant impact in reducing the obesity epidemic. The study found that if just 10% of restaurant goers ordered reduced-calorie meals (average reduction of 100 calories per meal) as a result of calorie information provided on menus, it would result in a 40% decrease in the 6.75 million pound average annual weight gain in the county population.

Obesity is one of the most serious public health threats we face today, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. This study shows that providing restaurant customers with calorie information at the point of purchase could lead to more informed decisions, and have a dramatic effect on reducing the overall obesity epidemic.

The study looked at a range of consumer responses in calculating potential impacts on the obesity epidemic. The results indicate that with public education, pricing incentives, or other strategies to promote reduced-calorie meals, the impact on reducing the epidemic could be greatly enhanced. For example, if 20% of restaurant patrons ordered reduced calorie meals (average reduction of 100 calories per meal) 77.7% of the county population’s annual weight gain could be prevented.

The study also found that dropping 100 or more calories from a typical restaurant meal is an achievable goal. It examined calorie information from three fast food restaurant chains and found that creating a reduced-calorie meal could be as simple as ordering a medium-sized soft drink instead of a large (saving 95 calories), ordering medium-sized French fries instead of a large (saving 163 calories), or ordering a single-meat patty hamburger instead of the double (saving 244 calories). Just one change in how a person orders could cut calories where they count.

The Health Impact Assessment titled Menu Labeling as a Potential Strategy for Combating the Obesity Epidemic can be viewed at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov

First Two Female Members Of County’s Most Wanted List Brought To Justice

The first two female members of the Los Angeles County Most Wanted List of child support evaders have been sentenced and arrested respectively this month, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

Vickie Irene Nass, the first woman to find a place on the Most Wanted List, made an appearance in Superior Court on April 24. Ms. Nass, who owed $66,127 to her two sons, had been sought on a warrant issued in August 2007, for failing to obey the terms of court-ordered probation. Superior Court Commissioner John Green made a formal finding that Ms. Nass was in violation of her probation terms. He sentenced her to 180 days in the county jail, but stayed imposition of that sentence on the following terms: that she make a payment of $5,000 on or before June 19 and that thereafter she commence making payments of $499 per month beginning July 1. She will face incarceration if she fails to make the payments as ordered.

Antoniette Duran, one of the latest additions to the Most Wanted List, was arrested at her home in Pomona on April 10. Ms. Duran, who owed $16,236 to her minor son and daughter, was arrested on a warrant issued when she failed to appear for a probation violation hearing. She was on probation for failing to comply with agreed-upon terms of supporting her children. On two occasions, she made promises to appear and clear the warrant and both times she failed to do so. When she failed to appear as directed, a new warrant was issued for her arrest, with bail set at $45,000.

The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department maintains the Most Wanted Delinquent Parent List. It was developed as a result of an appropriation by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on the initiative of County Supervisor Don Knabe. The appropriation provides funding that permits the Child Support Services Department to pay for the services of District Attorney Investigators to locate and arrest parents wanted on warrants for failure to pay court ordered support. Since the first arrests in December 2007, more than 275 parents with outstanding warrants have been arrested, cited, or surrendered in court after contact by District Attorney Investigators.

LACMA’S Annual Artwalk Returns

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) Muse program presents their thirteenth annual ArtWalk on Saturday, May 17, 2008, from 12:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ArtWalk features an afternoon survey of a unique art scene in Los Angeles and culminates with a celebratory reception in the evening. After traveling for a number of years, ArtWalk returns to the Mid-Wilshire District this year, with more than forty participating galleries, in conjunction with the recent debut of LACMA’s Broad Contemporary Art Museum.

Muse is also partnering up with the participating galleries this year for an exceptional lineup of programming, including artist lectures, art seminars, musical performances, and much more. Programs will be held throughout the afternoon from 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., followed by happy hours at select host galleries from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Muse will host the ArtWalk After Party at LACMA’s newly opened BP Grand Entrance from 8:15 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., concluding the day with complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, as well as a performance by the Los Angeles-based indie rock/pop trio Craft Club.

The following galleries and art spaces will participate in this year’s ArtWalk: Adamson-Duvannes Gallery, Alitash Kebede Gallery, Carl Berg Gallery, Concrete Walls Gallery, Couturier Gallery, Craft & Folk Art Museum, Daniel Weinberg Gallery, DF2 Gallery, DNJ Gallery, Fahey/Klein Gallery, Forum Gallery, Gallery 825, Gallery Brown, Iturralde Gallery, Jack Rutberg Gallery, Korean Cultural Center, Lawrence Asher Gallery, MAK Center, Marc Foxx Gallery, Mark Selwyn Fine Art, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Michael Kohn Gallery, Milo Gallery, Perrell Fine Art, Photographers Gallery, Richard Telles Fine Art, Sabina Lee Gallery, Solway Jones Gallery, Stephen Cohen Gallery, Steve Turner Contemporary, The Loft at Liz’s, Tobey C. Moss Gallery, Verve Gallery, and Voila! Art for the Modern Eye.

Ticketing

Tickets are not necessary for the daytime portion of the event, but are required for the After Party at LACMA. Tickets are $20 for Muse members, $30 for LACMA non-Muse members, and $40 for the general public. Tickets go on sale May 3 for the general public, and can be purchased at www.lacma.org/muse, at any of LACMA’s three Welcome Centers, or by telephone at (323) 857-6010. Advance purchase is recommended, as the event is expected to sell out quickly.