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Long Beach To Receive New Funding For Homeless Programs

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced today a $500,000 grant to the City of Long Beach to improve and enhance specialized services for homeless veterans in the Long Beach area. The grant includes a specific provision of $140,000 for the establishment of a County-funded mental health coordinator position within the City’s health department to ensure that residents, especially those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, have a greater awareness of mental health resources.

The City of Long Beach has a highly-effective continuum of care in place to address homelessness, but recent census statistics show that up to 14% of the total number of homeless veterans in Los Angeles County can be found in the Long Beach area. The goal of this new funding is to design a service program for homeless veterans and any special needs they may have. The addition of the coordinator position will ensure that individuals have knowledge of and are given access to mental health resources both the City and the County provides.

Supervisor Knabe has been a strong advocate on enhancing services for the homeless in Long Beach, and homeless veterans in particular. Earlier this year, he appropriated $1.2 million in County funding to support the US Veterans Initiative at the Villages at Cabrillo and in 2006, was instrumental in the establishment of the Bethune School for homeless children. He has also identified funding for child care and preschool services for homeless children and has pledged funding for the construction of a new family shelter for Catholic Charities. In addition, the Supervisor played a key role in the establishment of the Project Achieve shelter on Oregon Street, and continues to be the shelter’s primary source of funding.

"There are veterans living on our streets right now who are suffering and we anticipate a new influx of veterans who will be coming into our service systems that will require our help. We have to work proactively and not stand by and wait for solutions to emerge from Washington," Supervisor Knabe said, "The City of Long Beach has a strong program that is admired across the region as a model for addressing homelessness. It is my hope that this funding will enhance it even further."

County of Los Angeles Initiates Dialogue On Off-Highway Vehicle Parks Stakeholders to Discuss New Facility Options for the County’s Growing Number of OHV Enthusiasts

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation will be sponsoring a new study to develop siting criteria for a system of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Parks in Los Angeles County. Environmentalists, OHV representatives, resource agencies, trails and open space advocates, and other stakeholder groups will come together through a number of public workshops to help formulate a set of guidelines as to the types of places where OHV facilities might be appropriate. The study will use the siting criteria as a framework to identify and evaluate possible OHV Park sites in the future.

We are committed to serving the recreational needs of the County’s population, said Russ Guiney, Director of Parks and Recreation for the County of Los Angeles. Because OHV facilities involve a number of complex issues, we will look to the recommendations from this study before we begin planning for specific facilities.

Between 14 to 15 percent of the statewide population are OHV enthusiasts who enjoy off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicles, dune buggies, and 4×4 activity. While a large concentration is located here in Los Angeles County, local riding options are reduced every year as development continues, open space declines, and conservation management intensifies.

The purpose of the County’s project is to build consensus on a series of siting criteria for a system of OHV parks in Los Angeles County. The consensus-building process will involve an advisory committee comprised of the full spectrum of stakeholder interests. Input from the general public will be collected during two series of public workshops (to be conducted in four different County locations per series). This process will be supported by a website and fact sheets. Scheduling of these events is currently underway.

Funding for OHV recreational opportunities is generated by the State of California mandatory OHV green sticker registration program. Among other activities, the State Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division administers grants for OHV recreation opportunities throughout California, much of which are distributed to local counties and cities.

For more information about the Off-Highway Vehicle Park Study contact Robert Ettleman, Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, at (213) 351-5134 or
rettleman@parks.lacounty.gov

Legislature Takes Action To Begin The Fight Against Fraud And Improper Payments In Child Care Programs

California’s child care programs, which issue over $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars each year, have been increasingly vulnerable to fraudulent activity and improper payments, due to a gap in appropriate oversight at the State level. Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased that the State Legislature has taken action to require the State to examine this problem and develop ways to prevent it.

A 2005 report to the Legislature indicated that fraud could exist in up to 7 percent of all child care payments statewide. The report also estimated that 6.2 percent of all child care payments are erroneously issued, as a result of inconsistent practices and policies.

Supervisor Knabe has continually advocated in Sacramento for decisive action on this issue. In 2006, he sponsored Senate Bill 1421 (Margett) to address fraudulent activity in child care programs. This spurred a bipartisan dialogue, which led to the passage of Senate Bill 84 (Ducheny) by the Legislature last week, and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger as part of the new State budget.

The Legislature’s action calls for a best-practices study, which is due back by September 2008. It will report on the best practices for the prevention, detection, and investigation of improper payments and fraud in all subsidized child care programs. Local efforts across California, such as the highly-effective fraud mitigation and prevention activities in Los Angeles County, which last year prevented over $50 million in erroneous child care payments from occurring, will be reviewed as part of the study.

"This is a great beginning of what will be a very productive collaborative process, said Supervisor Knabe. Over the next twelve months, I will be watching this closely to ensure that the momentum continues and a strong plan of action to mitigate child care fraud emerges from the study. I want to thank Senator Bob Margett, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez for their leadership on this important issue, as well as Governor Schwarzenegger for his continued support."

South Whittier’s Sunshine Shuttle Has Its 100,000th Rider

The Sunshine Shuttle service, which covers unincorporated South Whittier, has reached a milestone mark of 100,000 riders during the month of October, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The use of the Sunshine Shuttle by 100,000 riders shows that this is a much-needed and appreciated transportation service in our community, said Supervisor Knabe. It is an inexpensive alternative to using the family car to make local trips to schools, retail centers and doctor appointments.

On December 1, 2006, new 30-foot long buses featuring a bold and distinctive graphic style, reflecting the line’s new identity as the Sunshine Shuttle, were put into service. The larger propane-powered buses are ADA-compliant and hold more riders. In addition to the upgraded buses, new sunshine logo bus stop signs and street pennants were installed throughout the Sunshine Shuttle route, which serves more than 36 bus stops between the Whittwood Town Center to the east and Sorensen Park to the west.

The two-way shuttle service (eastbound and westbound) connects to various other transit lines run by Metro; the Cities of Montebello, Norwalk, and Santa Fe Springs, and the County (Los Nietos Shuttle). Through this regional network, the Sunshine Shuttle has opened the door for local residents to easily access a variety of regional and local destinations, including libraries, schools, parks, medical and social service providers, youth and senior community centers, and major shopping centers.

The Sunshine Shuttle service is operated by the Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. For more information on the Sunshine Shuttle, call (626) 458-5960 or log on to www.lagobus.info and click on the Bus Service (Fixed-route) link in the left hard column.

Traffic Signal Synchronization Project Complete In The South Bay

The County of Los Angeles has completed the construction of a Traffic Signal Synchronization Project in the Fourth District cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Rancho Palos Verdes and Long Beach, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

The $933,524 project focused on coordinating the timing of signals along three major streets in the South Bay. Over 100 total intersections were synchronized on the following three roads: Artesia Boulevard from Sepulveda Boulevard to Vermont Avenue, Carson Street from Hawthorne Boulevard to Santa Fe Avenue, and Western Avenue from 111th Street to Summerland Avenue.

This project is part of the County’s ongoing program to enhance traffic flow and safety for drivers and pedestrians. Prior projects have shown travel times through these synchronized routes are reduced by as much as 24 percent during peak travel hours and as much as 29 percent during other periods of the day.

It is important that we constantly look for ways to reduce congestion and improve the flow of traffic on our roads, said Supervisor Knabe. By synchronizing these traffic signals, both the residents of these cities and the nearby unincorporated County areas that travel these routes will benefit.

Project Will Repair And Improve Intersections Impacted By Heavy Truck Traffic

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced the approval of a transportation infrastructure improvement project that is designed to minimize the impact truck traffic has at several congested intersections. The goals of the project are to improve the existing substandard intersections by reinforcing the roadbed with stronger materials that can withstand heavy trucks, and reducing toxic diesel emissions by minimizing the time trucks spend stopped with engines idling at these intersections.

Below are the intersections that will be improved and the estimated contract costs for the work:

City of Artesia
Artesia Blvd/Pioneer Blvd

– Construct concrete pavement on Artesia Blvd from Pioneer to Flallon Ave.

– Construct new median on Artesia Blvd from Flallon Ave to Pioneer Blvd and from Pioneer Blvd to about 325 feet east of Pioneer Blvd.

– Traffic signal improvements.

– Signing and striping.

Estimated Contract Cost: $782,899

City of Downey
Florence Ave/Paramount Blvd

– Increase curb radius at the southeast and northwest corner of the intersection.

– Relocate fire hydrant, catch basin, street lights, and traffic signals.

– Traffic signal upgrade (new mast arm and pedestrian signals)

– Install video detection cameras on all approaches.

Estimated Contract Cost: $384,056

City of Long Beach
Santa Fe Ave/Pacific Coast Highway

– Construct concrete pavement at the intersection and at the approaches (east, west, and south leg of the intersection)

– Increase curb radius at the southwest corner of the intersection

– Signing and striping

Estimated Contract Cost: $544,451

County of Los Angeles Animal Care & Control Largest in the Nation

Yesterday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced that the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Services is the largest animal adoption agency in the United States.

This claim is inaccurate. The County of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Care places more animals each year than the City of Los Angeles.

The City of Los Angeles placed 25,279 animals last year, compared to 28,309 animals placed by the County. In the 2005-06 fiscal year, the City placed 24,515 animals compared to 27,670 for the County. In the year prior to that, the City placed 24,190 animals and the County placed 28,203.

The County of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Care and Control is the largest animal control agency in the country, serving all unincorporated Los Angeles County as well as 51 contract cities. Our staff and volunteers work diligently to place abandoned animals into new, loving homes stated County of Los Angeles Director Marcia Mayeda. They should be recognized and congratulated for their efforts that lead the nation in the numbers of animals adopted.

New Project Near Marina del Rey Will Redirect Urban Runoff And Pollutants Away From Ocean

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today accepted the construction of a new low-flow diversion that was recently completed at Washington Boulevard in the vicinity of Marina del Rey.

Low-flow diversions are designed to divert non-storm flows away from the ocean and to a sewage treatment plant. This newest diversion is one of 18 County-owned and operated diversions in the South Bay designed to redirect urban runoff and improve water quality along the coast by preventing pollutants that may be in that runoff from entering the ocean. The total cost of the diversion project was $1,214,588.

These low-flow diversions are an important part of the County’s approach to improving water quality, said Supervisor Knabe. Although these diversions are successful at directing runoff to treatment facilities, any long term solution to improve water quality will require the public’s help to reduce pollution.

Triple Digit Temperatures Could Cause Health Problems

Health officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have confirmed that one person with West Nile Virus infection has died. Because the man, who lived in the San Fernando Valley, was in his 80’s and had multiple, chronic medical problems, it is not possible to determine the extent to which the virus contributed to his death. He died earlier this month following a brief hospitalization.

The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of complications and death from West Nile Virus than others, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer.

Two other cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Los Angeles County. A middle aged man, living in the San Fernando Valley, was diagnosed with the virus in mid-July, and an elderly man in the central Los Angeles area became ill earlier this month. Both were hospitalized briefly and are recovering at home. These cases are in addition to the case reported last week, for a total of four cases in the County.

It is important to remember that West Nile can appear anywhere in Los Angeles County or the state. The West Nile Virus has been detected in birds and mosquitoes in several areas throughout the County. We continue to urge people of all ages to take precautions, such as avoiding mosquitoes, removing pools of stagnant water around their homes, and using a repellant containing DEET when outdoors in mosquito prone areas, especially around dawn or dusk, said Dr. Fielding.

Public health officials are required to report confirmed cases of West Nile Virus to the California Department of Public Health. By protocol, the first five cases each season must be confirmed by testing at the County’s Public Health Laboratory, before they are reported to the state.

For more information on current and future cases of West Nile Virus, please click
here. The site is updated regularly.

Lakewood and Norwalk Sheriff’s States to Receive State Funding for Alcohol awareness Programs

Los Angeles County Supervisors Gloria Molina and Don Knabe announced that the County will contribute $20,000 toward a $40,000 reward total for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the murder of retired Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ruben Whittington.

The 21-year police department veteran was shot in the chest and killed on August 5 at approximately 11:00 p.m. by a still unknown assailant. Whittington, 62, was waiting on the 300 block of South Lemon Avenue in Walnut for a tow truck to arrive so to help him fix a flat tire. A resident of Diamond Bar, Whittington was on his way home from his business in Walnut. He is survived by his wife, Marsha Kramer, and two children.

Officer Whittington’s murder was completely senseless and a terrible blow to his family, his friends, and his police department colleagues, said Supervisor Molina. Supervisor Knabe and I deeply hope someone comes forward with the information we need to catch his killer.

"This heinous crime will not go unpunished, said Supervisor Knabe. We need to find the person responsible for the death of Mr. Whittington, and it is my hope that this reward will help lead to new information and ultimately an arrest.

The cities of Diamond Bar and Walnut already have posted separate $10,000 rewards for the Whittington murder. Approval of the county’s $20,000 contribution at today’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors brings the reward total to $40,000. Anyone with information is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at (323) 890-5500.