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Newborn Safely Surrendered in Bellflower

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success again today with the report of another safely surrendered newborn. This most recent report of a surrender occurred in the City of Bellflower at Kaiser Permanente Hospital.

The newborn Hispanic female was surrendered on Monday, March 26 and is reported to be in good health. Although the surrender occurred on Monday, confirmation was just received today. It is normal for surrenders to take several days to be verified under the rules of the program. As is standard practice, the baby girl is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

This is the seventh Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2007, and the 54th surrender since the program began six 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 72 hours old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

This latest Surrender just goes to show that 72 hours works, said Supervisor Knabe. The Safe Surrender Program continues to be a tremendous success and I am happy to hear this baby girl is healthy.

Community Leader Tom Martin Passes Away

Thomas (Tom) R. Martin, a long-serving South Bay community leader and field representative for several elected officials, passed away this morning at the age of 61 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Tom was a prominent figure in the South Bay and Beach Cities for over thirty years, serving as a field representative to former State Senator Bob Beverly for twenty-six years and as a field deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe for nine years.

He was a California native, attended grammar school in Manhattan Beach and finished high school in the South Bay. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1967 with a degree in Political Science and Public Administration. After a tour of duty in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, Tom returned to the South Bay to work for Senator Beverly from 1969 to 1996. He joined Supervisor Knabe’s staff in 1996 and served until his battle against cancer forced his retirement in 2005.

Tom was involved in numerous community service clubs and organizations, including the Navy League, Rotary, The City of Hope, YMCA, South Bay Symphony Association, Redondo Beach Beautification Committee, the South Bay Juvenile Diversion Project and the Jaycees. He once served as president of the Manhattan Beach Coordinating Council and Beach Cities Council on Aging.

He served a term as a trustee on the Beach Cities Health District. In 1994, he was named recipient of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year award, and in 2000 was honored by the Torrance Chamber of Commerce with the J. Walker Owens Outstanding Volunteer award.

In 1999, The Los Angeles Times featured an extensive ‘Column One’ profile of Tom and the unique aspects of his work as a field representative to an elected leader. More recently, over 100 community leaders, council members and Mayors gathered last month to honor Tom by dedicating the Lifeguard Headquarters on the Manhattan Beach Pier in his name.

Tom always displayed the qualities that are the foundation of a truly remarkable public servant – character, trustworthiness, honor, and courage. He used these attributes every day in his lifetime of service to the communities he loved so much, said Supervisor Don Knabe. Tom Martin was a friend and a professional in the truest sense.

Tom is survived by his wife Jeri, stepsons Brian and Jimmy, and stepdaughters Teri and Leisha. In lieu of flowers, the Martin family requests donations be made in Tom’s honor to the 1736 Family Crisis Center, (323) 737-3900, or the Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard Program, (310) 939-7214.

$25,000 Reward Established for the Murder of a Security Guard in unincorporated Whittier

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a $25,000 reward today for information in last month’s shooting death of Reyes Armando Garcia, at the request of Supervisor Don Knabe.

Garcia was shot and killed on the night of February 9, while working as a security guard at Oceans Sports Bar located at 14314 Telegraph Road, in the unincorporated area of Whittier. On that night, a group of males was observed drinking beer in the parking lot of the bar. The security staff approached the individuals and informed them that they could not drink in the parking lot and asked them to leave. One of the individuals punched Mr. Garcia, and one of the other suspects pulled out a gun and shot Garcia several times. The suspects sped away in a light colored pickup truck.

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

Any person having any information related to this crime is asked to call the Homicide Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at (323) 890-5500.

Rowland Heights Couple Donate Cherry Trees to Schabarum Regional Park

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has accepted a donation of 120 cherry trees and a stone memorial marker to Schabarum Regional Park with an estimated value of more than $10,000, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The donation was made by Dr. Jane Gu and Dr. Ron Gu who are physicians that reside in Rowland Heights. In 2003, their son, Jeffrey Ron Gu, died in a hiking accident in South America. In their son’s honor, they have made this donation to the County.

Jeffrey Ron Gu will be remembered for his passion for God, love for people, enthusiasm for life, love of his family and friends and dreams of improving our world through philanthropy.

This is a very touching tribute to their son, and I am honored that the Gu family has chosen Schabarum Park for this memorial, said Supervisor Knabe. Visitors of the park will be able to enjoy these beautiful trees for generations to come, and we are very grateful.

The Gu family will be honored by the Board of Supervisors for their generous donation at the next Board of Supervisor’s meeting on Tuesday, April 3, 2007.

Los Angeles County Funds 130 Summer Internships at 90 Arts Organizations

Los Angeles County, through its Arts Commission, has given grants totaling $530,000 to 90 performing, literary, media and municipal arts organizations throughout the County to support paid internships for college undergraduates in summer 2007, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

Descriptions of and contacts for the 130 internship positions are posted on the Arts Commission’s web site. Go to www.lacountyarts.org, click on Internships, then 2007 Internship Database. Click here for the direct link.

The positions are searchable by region, arts discipline, professional field and keyword. General information on the internship program is also available on the web site.

Organizations in the Fourth Supervisorial District offering arts internships include the following: the City of Manhattan Beach, the City of Torrance, International City Theatre, Long Beach Symphony Association and Public Corporation for the Arts/Arts Council for Long Beach.

Interested undergraduates should apply directly to the organization offering the internship, not the Arts Commission. College undergraduates either resident in or attending school in Los Angeles County are eligible for the internships. Interns are paid $350 per week for ten weeks and take part in educational and arts networking activities.

Through the program, interns gain a deeper understanding of the work involved in nonprofit arts administration and the role of the arts in a community, and develop business skills that can be put to use in their future careers. Internship host organizations help mold and shape potential new workers in the arts field who may go on to arts leadership positions on staffs, boards or as volunteers.

Examples of County internship experiences include the following:

– A production and education intern to work at the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra to assist with the preparation and planning for the 2007-2008 season including concert production, artist relations and education programs.

– An associate producer intern to work at the City of Torrance to join the producer and work on all aspects of production including publicity/marketing, administrative, community relations, sets, props, and related responsibilities. The intern’s primary focus will be on the summer musical (West Side Story).

– An arts learning department Intern to work at the Public Corporation for the Arts (Arts Council for Long Beach) to develop a completed student workbook and teacher’s manual for the department’s public art education program. Additionally, the intern will be exposed to other essential responsibilities of the Arts Learning department by serving as an associate to the department’s director.

Los Angeles County Launches STD Hotline

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has re-launched an expanded version of its STD Hotline, which has been a powerful prevention weapon against sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

Accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week, the Hotline, 1-800-758-0880, gives callers instant access to a wealth of STD information in both English and Spanish, access to free condoms, and contact information for more than 50 free and low-cost STD and HIV test sites throughout the County. The Hotline also provides access to health educators Monday through Friday during business hours from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. enabling callers to order free educational materials as well as condoms, and even tips on how to tell their sexual partners about an STD.

In addition to information on nearby test sites, the STD Hotline can provide key information on STD prevention facts – and myths – even at 2:00 a.m. Other key features of the Hotline include referral information for free Hepatitis A and B immunizations, information on emergency contraception, and resources for health providers.

Other public health tools include the www.inSPOTLA.org website that enables users to anonymously contact sex partners to inform them of possible STD exposure, and the STD Program’s own website, www.lapublichealth.org/std, where additional information and materials, including digital slide presentations and reports, are available to the public.

Funding Approved for Marina del Rey Dredging Project

With today’s approval by the Board of Supervisors of a $1.6 million contribution, the County of Los Angeles has secured all the necessary funding to begin a major dredging project in Marina del Rey. Navigation into the Marina through the harbor’s north entrance from the Pacific Ocean has become hazardous and extremely restricted over the last several years due to the buildup of sand on the ocean floor near the north jetty. This dredging project will return the north entrance to its design depth of 20 feet and will place the clean sand removed from the area offshore from Dockweiler Beach to aid in beach replenishment.

Dredging of areas in and around the north entrance will be supervised by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as this navigation area is designated as a federal channel. The County offered to the Corps its financial assistance in order to complete the project, which will cost a minimum of $2.4 million. Approximately $1.4 million of the funding is expected to come from the Corps through the Federal budget. The additional $1.6 million financial contribution, approved by the Board of Supervisors today, will cover the remaining financial need and any unforeseen project costs. Any portion of the County’s contribution that is unused at the end of the project will be returned to County coffers.

The clean sand removed from dredging the Marina del Rey north entrance will be transported to an area just offshore from Dockweiler Beach near Imperial Boulevard in water approximately 15 to 30 feet deep. Underwater ocean currents will progressively push this new sand onshore along Dockweiler Beach and other South Bay beaches, replenishing beach sand washed away during winter storms in recent years.

The dredging project is scheduled to begin in December 2006 and be complete by March 15, 2007, well in advance of the peak summer season in the Marina. Work is expected to take place 24-hours a day and six or seven days a week. The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors will work with other agencies to ensure local residents, businesses and boaters are kept informed of the project’s progress and any potential impact on services. Additional buoys will be placed to help mariners avoid impacted areas in the Marina entrance.

This dredging project is going to lead to a number of important benefits for our community, said Supervisor Knabe. It will ensure that emergency response vessels from the Coast Guard, Lifeguards, and Fire and Sheriff’s Departments that are based in the Marina can safely navigate out of the channel to respond to emergencies and rescues along the Pacific Coastline. Also important is the improvement in public safety for navigating in and out of the channel for the 5,000 privately-owned vessels in the Marina. Finally, Dockweiler and our other South Bay beaches will benefit from a much-needed infusion of new sand thanks to the replenishment project.

Knabe Opposes Safe Surrender Program Legislation

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe renewed his opposition today to legislation introduced by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont). Assembly Bill 81 (AB 81) is a rehashing of Torrico’s AB 1873 from the last legislative session that was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger in October 2006.

Under the proposed legislation, AB 81 will extend the newborn surrender period to 30 days. Currently, the program allows mothers of unwanted newborns to surrender their babies at Safe Surrender sites, such as Fire Stations and Hospitals, up to 72 hours after the child’s birth. The person who surrenders the newborn is protected from prosecution, No Shame, No Blame and No Names.

Extending this window from 72 hours to 30 days will create serious medical issues, said Supervisor Knabe, who championed the formation of Safe Surrender, the Los Angeles County version of the Safe Haven Program, over six years ago.

Access to quality medical care in the first hours of life is an absolutely critical component that could be placed in jeopardy if this legislation goes through as is, said Knabe. Many infants who are safely surrendered have received no prenatal care or medical care at all – services that are critical for these newborns to receive in the first hours after birth. The 72 hour window works, and we have extensive research to prove it. There is no data showing that an extension to 30 days proposed in Assemblyman Torrico’s legislation would improve this successful program. That is a risk we simply cannot afford.

Los Angeles County has been at the forefront of implementing the Safe Haven Law. Since its enactment in 2002, 53 babies have been safely surrendered in Los Angeles County – more than one-third of all the newborns saved in California.

Board Approves $50,000 Reward in Attempted Murder Case of Whittier Sheriff’s Deputy

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $50,000 reward today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Emigdio Preciado, the primary suspect in the shooting of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Schaap. The Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau requested an increase to the Board’s original reward of $10,000 to prompt individuals to come forward and provide information as to the whereabouts of the suspect.

On September 5, 2000, Deputy Schaap was shot and injured while on routine patrol in Whittier with his partner, Deputy David Timberlake. While attempting to stop a van for a vehicle code violation, the alleged assailants opened fire with an assault rifle from inside the van. Multiple rounds were fired, one of which struck Schaap in the head. The bullet fragments were removed at St. Francis Medical Center, and Schaap was released and home with his family by Thanksgiving Day. A first suspect has already been apprehended, but the second suspect, Emigdio Preciado, is still at large and wanted for attempted murder. Preciado is an adult male Hispanic presumed to be in Mexico and considered armed and dangerous.

On June 21, 2001, the Board of Supervisors authorized a $10,000 reward that has remained in place since the onset of the investigation. Unfortunately, investigators have currently exhausted all conventional techniques in an attempt to locate and apprehend Preciado, and the case has reached the point where a substantial increase to the reward was deemed necessary to locate and capture the suspect.

By increasing this reward, the Board intends to send a clear message that we support our deputies 100 percent and that this sort of egregious assault will not be tolerated, said Supervisor Knabe. If this reward serves to bring Deputy Schaap’s attacker to justice, I consider it money well spent.

Information on the whereabouts of Preciado or any other information related to this case should be directed to any local law enforcement office or to the Homicide Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, at (323) 890-5500.

Outdoor Adventures 2007 Season Offers Boating, Bird Watching in Marina del Rey

The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors will again offer its popular Outdoor Adventures programs in Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, beginning March 22. Bird Watching, Harbor Kayaking, and Surf Kayaking will offer exciting experiences for individuals and families.

Bird Watching will take groups to various sites in the Ballona Wetlands, where they will have the opportunity to observe various bird species compete for resources in the shoreline and vegetation habitat. 2007 dates and times are: March 22, 4 pm; April 26, 9 am; May 24, 4 pm; and June 28, 9 am. Excursions are presented at no cost, but pre-registration is suggested. Each outing is approximately two hours long.

Harbor Kayaking offers leisure outings in the Marina harbor for anyone 10 years and older, including families, for whom double kayaks are available. Class size is limited to 15 participants. Outings are from 11:30 am to 1:45 pm. Dates are March 24, April 21, May 26, June 16, July 28, August 25, October 27, and November 10. Cost per outing is $25.00 from 10 to 18 years of age, and $30.00 for participants 19 or older.

Surf Kayaking will provide participants with the opportunity to kayak through the Marina del Rey harbor and head out to the North Jetty, where they will surf the waves aboard sit-on-top kayaks. Los Angeles County Lifeguards will instruct the outing. Pre-registration is required, as class size is limited to 10 participants. All classes are held on Saturdays from 8 am to 11 am on March 24, April 28, May 26, June 16, July 28, August 25, October 27, and November 10. Cost per outing is $25.00 ages 10 to 18 years, and $30 ages 19 and older.

For all programs, call (310) 822-8530 to register or to obtain additional information.