Yearly Archives: 2008

Knabe Announces His 2009 Arts Education Partnership Program

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce his 2009 Arts Education Partnership Program. This grant program targets non-profit organizations, community organizations, government agencies and schools across the Fourth Supervisorial District, and provides matching funds to support the various arts education programs.

The objective of the Arts Education Partnership Program is to increase and sustain well-rounded education in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts for K-12 students throughout the Supervisor’s District. All of the grant applications that are received will be judged by experts from the various arts disciplines.

Please be sure to read the Guidelines and Instructions first before starting the Application.

As stated in the Guidelines and Instructions, all applications and supplemental materials must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2008.

To find out more about the program and to submit an application, please download the Application and the Guidelines and Instructions below:

Arts Grant Application
AEPP Guidelines and Instruction

Valencia Hospital Receives Safely Surrendered Newborn

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce that a baby boy was safely surrendered at a hospital in the community of Valencia yesterday. The mother reportedly told hospital workers she learned about Safe Surrender from reading a brochure about the program.

The newborn Hispanic male was reported to be in good health. As is standard practice, the baby boy is in protective custody and will eventually be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

I want to thank this newborn’s mother for doing the right thing, said Supervisor Knabe. We have a law on the books to protect babies from abandonment and give the mother a safe, secure and anonymous way to get her child into safe hands. It is still our goal that 2008 will be the first year with no abandoned newborns.

This is the seventh Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2008 and the 69th Safe Surrender since the program began seven years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

Supervisors Fund Knabe Plan To Slow Jail Early Release Program

Nearly $3 million is being spent on electronic monitoring devices so more nonviolent offenders can serve home detention and help ease crowding in Los Angeles County jails. The plan was born out of a proposal made by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe that ultimately led to a change in State law last year.

The idea for increased use of electronic monitoring was presented by Supervisor Knabe to the Board of Supervisors in July 2006. After the Board approved making Knabe’s plan a legislative priority, an author for the bill was successfully sought in State Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles). Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill in September 2007.

Under the old state law, many convicted criminals were allowed to choose between a jail sentence and electronic monitoring. Many criminals chose jail time instead of the electronic monitoring option because they knew that under the current statistics of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Early Release Program, if they enter the County jail system, they will likely only serve 10-percent of the time they were actually sentenced with, as opposed to serving 100-percent of their sentence on electronic monitoring.

Supervisor Knabe’s proposal asked the Governor and legislators to revise the State law to ensure that the decision between electronic monitoring and a jail term is left to the law enforcement community and not in the hands of lawbreakers. Under the new law, electronic monitoring will become mandatory for certain non-violent offenders, and as a result, it will free up much-needed beds in County jails for the very worst offenders, who need to remain behind bars for more than just a fraction of their sentences.

If a criminal receives a 30-day sentence, then why would they agree to be electronically monitored that entire time if they know the loopholes of early release mean a 30-day sentence translates into only a few days behind bars, said Supervisor Knabe. The choice between the two should not be an option in the hands of convicted criminals. Criminals should not get to choose their punishment simply because one takes less time to complete. Length of punishment belongs in the hands of our judges and when a judge imposes a sentence, that sentence needs to stick.

Ultimately, we need additional jail beds to ensure that every criminal serves every day he is sentenced to, but until that day comes, this new funding will ensure that the very worst offenders will remain behind bars and that the electronic monitoring option will be used only for non violent criminals.

Up to 2,000 inmates in the Los Angeles County jail system will be placed into electronic monitoring through the use of ankle bracelets. Currently only 300-400 offenders serve their time on electronic monitoring.

County Launches Green Award Program

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has started a new Green Leadership Award to recognize sound environmental strategies. The program will help promote "Green" practices in our community and enhance the County’s role as a leader in these efforts by recognizing outstanding environmental sustainability efforts by individuals and organizations.

The competition is open to all County residents, businesses, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, professional and trade’-associations, communities, State, and local government entities. Those who have previously applied will be allowed to apply again.

There will be five categories of awards, four of which will recognize nonprofit agencies, public agencies, businesses and individuals. A fifth award, given by the chair of the Board of Supervisors, will recognize an individual whose leadership and dedication made a significant impact in environmental education.”

Winners will be selected by the county’s Energy and Environmental Policy Team. The Award program will be formally launched in April 2009 to coincide with Earth Day.

Supervisor Knabe Responds To The Passing Of John Todd

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement today regarding the recent passing of the John Sanford Todd, Lakewood City Attorney and originator of the Contract City plan.

We have lost a local government pioneer. John was a visionary, and a mentor to so many of us. He was calm, cool, tough and had a great sense of humor. The Contract City plan, which John was instrumental in developing, became a civic model to dozens of future cities across Los Angeles County and the State of California. Even today the Contract Cities remain Los Angeles County’s largest customer of municipal services.

New Senior Services Website Launched

The County and City of Los Angeles have partnered to create a user-friendly website, Los Angeles Network of Care, at: http://losangeles.networkofcare.org/aging

This website helps seniors, disabled, and their caregivers quickly locate services they need.

Los Angeles County has a population larger than most states and a senior population, aged 60 and older, of 1.4 million, placing a huge demand on the Area Agencies on Aging to provide comprehensive and accessible services.

The website has features that allow consumers or their caregivers to create their own personal information record on-line that can also be used by their care coordinators. The website has educational information on matters such as diseases, medications and treatments, care management issues, prevention, early intervention, planning, consumer advocacy and protection.

The website is a collaborative effort that will help seniors as a whole and is a step toward providing seamless senior services in our county, says Cynthia Banks, Director, Community and Senior Services and the Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging.

Enhancements to the website will include an increase of the County’s Information and Assistance staff to better meet the service demands. Website data is continuously updated to provide the most up-to-date information on the site.

There are programs and services available through our Area Agencies on Aging and other providers that many Angelinos do not know about, says Laura Trejo, General Manager, City of Los Angeles Department of Aging. We are hopeful that by getting the word out about the new website, more of our services will be utilized, she added.

County Fire Department Deploys Swift Water Rescue Team To The Hurricane Ravaged Louisiana Area

On Sunday, August 31, the Los Angeles County Fire Department deployed a 14-member Swift Water Team to Louisiana to support logistical and potential rescue operations for those affected by Hurricane Gustav.

The team assembled out of the Technical Operations Center in Pacoima and prepared for a caravan to the Gulf Area. The crew will be there for an unknown amount of time to assist and support the Office of Emergency Services for the State of Louisiana. The team is one of seven supporting FEMA teams, which responded to the Gulf States Region.

The members of the Department’s Swift Water Team are well trained individuals that specialize in various water rescue skills, including working with watercraft and search equipment to perform life saving missions.

Street Signs Upgraded In East Whittier

Supervisor Don Knabe unveiled new street signs this week that will be placed throughout the unincorporated community of East Whittier. The upgrades are part of a project currently underway by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

The project is part of a Countywide program to increase the visibility of street name signs along roadways with speed limits of 30 mph or greater. These new signs will have larger lettering and will be easier to read at night, increasing safety and mobility on the major streets of the East Whittier community.

The signs will include the community name along with the Los Angeles County Seal as a symbol of community unity already strong in East Whittier. Over 114 signs will be installed along the major streets in the community.

Supervisor Knabe was joined by Whittier-area community leader Jean Wall to unveil an installed sign at the intersection of Tigrina Avenue and Imperial Highway on August 27. Public Works expects to complete this project by end of fall 2008.

Reaching Out To Voters With Specific Needs

In an effort to promote a greater opportunity for all voters to participate in the election process, the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) has produced a Voter with Specific Needs video presentation highlighting accessible voting services and sensitivity in serving voters with special needs and voters with limited English proficiency.

Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan has incorporated segments of the video into staff and poll worker training for the upcoming November 4th General Election. Additionally, the RR/CC has distributed the video to all local public libraries for general circulation and educational purposes.

Making voting accessible to all eligible citizens is a priority, said Logan. This video emphasizes the services currently available to accomplish this and reminds us all of best practices for ensuring our voters with special needs get the service they deserve.

The RR/CC collaborated with its Community Voter Outreach Committee (CVOC) on the Voter with Specific Needs video. CVOC, comprised of nonprofit organizations with election interests, partners with the RR/CC throughout the year providing input from the public sector on election related matters, as well as, assisting with voter registration, public education and election services. CVOC members’ collective expertise helps provide a successful voting experience for all voters, said Logan.

Toward the goal of providing voters with efficient and accessible elections, the RR/CC requires poll worker volunteers to attend training prior to each election. The Voters with Specific Needs video has now been included as part of the poll worker training curriculum and serves as a guide for poll workers to providing election services for persons with specific needs.

The video consists of a 6-minute and a 12-minute abridged version, as well as a 25-minute expanded version with a comprehensive how to guide. Translated versions of the video are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog/Filipino, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese.

For more information or to obtain a copy of the Voter with Specific Needs video, contact Nelson Fernandez, Voter Outreach Coordinator, by calling (562) 462-2117 or by emailing
nfernandez@rrcc.lacounty.gov
A full list of accessibility services available through the RR/CC may be found on the RR/CC website www.lavote.net
Voters may also call the RR/CC at (800) 815-2666.

Knabe Responds To Orange County/Los Angeles County Boundary Study

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors called for a study that will examine whether the boundary between Los Angeles and Orange Counties should be slightly adjusted in the area near the Coyote Creek flood control channel.

The areas to be studied include small pockets of the Cities of La Mirada, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos, Lakewood, Long Beach and an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County east of Coyote Creek. The proposed changes also would affect the Orange County cities of Buena Park, Fullerton, Cypress, La Palma, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe asked for cooperation with Orange County on the issue after he received a request from Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach to look at various issues next to the common boundary.

I want to make it perfectly clear that this question of whether the boundary should be shifted has not even been formally discussed, said Supervisor Knabe. Neither County has taken definitive action or made any suggestion of a boundary change other than to evaluate the issue as requested originally by Supervisor Moorlach.

Now that this study is underway, County service agencies, such as the Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department, school districts, and others, will be asked to provide their own input. Then the several Cities involved will be included in the process and allowed opportunities to comment. Additionally, residents will be part of the process through community meetings.

The bottom line is that nothing has happened on this issue, said Supervisor Knabe. There has been no public discussion and absolutely no decisions on changing the boundary.