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Stephanie Stone of San Pedro is the First Woman Appointed to the Los Angeles County Veterans’ Commission

Supervisor Don Knabe today announced that the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved his appointment of San Pedro resident Stephanie Stone to the Los Angeles County Veterans’ Advisory Commission.

Stone, who retired from the United States Navy in 1997 after 20 years of service, is currently the Program Director for the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

Stone works with a variety of groups including: the American Society for Public Administration, the Coro National Alumni Association and the San Pedro High School Booster Club. She was also asked to sit on the Los Angeles City Advisory Committee on Military and Veteran Affairs, and was elected chair in 2000.

Serving as the first woman on the Commission will be an honor which will not be lost on me, said Stone. My passion is not limited to but includes a focus on Women Veterans’ health care issues.

Stephanie has an incredible amount of knowledge and experience in dealing with Veteran issues, said Supervisor Knabe. I know she will be a valuable asset on the County’s Veterans Advisory Commission.

Traffic Signal Upgrade Project Planned for Carson Street in Long Beach

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced plans today for the County to contract for the synchronization of traffic signals along Carson Street in Long Beach and portions of Lakewood and Hawaiian Gardens.

The project involves the synchronizing of traffic signals at 28 different intersections along a 7.3-mile stretch of Carson Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Bloomfield Avenue. Synchronizing the signals and improving their operation will reduce traffic delays on this route.

The project is the result of a joint partnership between the City of Long Beach and the County of Los Angeles, with both agencies contributing a portion of the construction funding. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $2.13 million, with $1.7 million coming from a Metropolitan Transportation Authority grant, $205,000 from the County and $221,000 from the City of Long Beach.

The project is part of the County’s ongoing program of synchronizing traffic signals to improve the flow of traffic on streets and highways.

Free Self-Help Legal Access Center Opens at the Long Beach Courthouse

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a series of sweeping reforms today addressing the County’s policies for the retention and destruction of confidential documents.

These reforms came about as a result of a legislative priority of Supervisor Don Knabe to strengthen the County’s document destruction policies to ensure that any confidential or personal information is secured and disposed of properly in all County departments and agencies.

Serious questions of existing policies came into question after an investigation by KNBC-TV in early 2006 revealed several incidents of security breeches of confidential employee records and welfare recipient client information maintained by the Department of Public Social Services. As a result of this investigation, Supervisor Knabe called for a review and reform of document retention policies across the entire County.

In providing services to the public, this County has no more important responsibility than to protect any confidential or personal records of our residents, said Knabe.

The plan approved by the Board of Supervisors today represents the most sweeping reform in document retention policy since the Board first addressed the issue in May 1958. The new plan includes policies for portable computing devices, such as laptops, policies for the handling and destruction of confidential documents in all County departments, policies for record retention and protection and outreach programs for County employees and residents who may have been the victims of identity theft.

Young Boxer to be Honored by Board of Supervisors

The successes of nine-year-old boxing prodigy Moises mighty Mo Orozco will be recognized and honored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, October 3, 2006 at 9:30 a.m.

Mighty Mo is not only a straight-A student from Long Beach, but he has also scored several top honors in the boxing ring, despite his young age.

Mighty Mo was the surprise participant at the recent 4th Annual Desert Showdown Invitational Amateur Boxing tournament, taking top honors in the 60-pound division. Not only did Orozco capture his division, but the Desert Showdown was also the first tournament he had ever entered. The five-day tournament is the largest amateur competition in the Southwest.

So far in 2006, Orozco has also captured the Junior Olympics 60-pound championship, the Junior Golden Gloves 65-pound championship, and the Ringside World 65-pound championship. Orozco is undefeated in 2006 and is currently preparing for his first Silver Gloves Tournament, scheduled for this November. He is also planning to travel to Maui in the near future to compete against their local champion.

‘Mighty Mo’ has shown that he’s a terrific athlete, considering he’s received less than two years of formal training, but he’s also excelled as an outstanding student, said Supervisor Knabe. I’m proud to recognize the many accomplishments he’s achieved at such an early age.

Safe Surrender Protected by Governor’s Veto

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe offered his thanks to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today for vetoing a bill that would have placed the success of the statewide Safe Haven Law in jeopardy.

Under the proposed legislation, AB 1873 by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont), the Safe Haven window would have been extended 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 the window from 72 hours to 30 days could have created serious medical issues said Supervisor Knabe, who championed the formation of Safe Surrender, the Los Angeles County version of the Safe Haven Program, over five years ago.

Access to quality medical care in the first hours of life is an absolutely critical component that could have been placed in jeopardy had this legislation gone through, 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. That is a risk we simply cannot afford and we appreciate the Governor’s veto.

Los Angeles County has been at the forefront of implementing the Safe Haven Law. Since its enactment in 2002, 45 babies have been safely surrendered in Los Angeles County – almost one-third of all the newborns saved in California.
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Knabe Selected as Chairman of the I-710 Freeway Improvement Project

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe has been elected as the new Chair of the I-710 Executive Committee.

The central function of the I-710 Executive Committee is to provide policy guidance and general direction to the I-710 Corridor Improvement Program. The project will be a difficult undertaking that seeks to make major refurbishments to the 710 Freeway and its surrounding environment that connects the County’s two seaports to the rest of the region. This 20-mile stretch of freeway is a vital part of the trade capacity of the entire region.

I appreciate the support of my colleagues in selecting me to Chair this important committee, said Supervisor Knabe. This committee has a difficult task ahead of it, but improving the 710 will be good for the entire region. Reducing congestion and improving safety on this freeway will not only benefit the surrounding neighborhoods, but also the private and commercial drivers that use the freeway daily.

Other members of the committee include: Los Angeles County Supervisors Gloria Molina and Yvonne Burke, City of Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, City of Long Beach Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal, City of Commerce Mayor Nancy Ramos, Caltrans District 7 Director Doug Failing, Port of Long Beach Commissioner Mike Walter and Port of Los Angeles Commissioner Jerilyn Mendoza.

Knabe Katch Fishing Derby Returning to La Mirada Regional County Park  

Over 1,000 youth ages 5 to 15 will be angling for a prize catch at the Tenth Annual Knabe Katch Fishing Derby this Saturday, September 30, 2006. This year’s event hosted by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and the La Mirada Kiwanis Club along with the City of La Mirada and the County Department of Parks and Recreation promises to be a fun-filled day for the entire family.

The fishing derbies are always fun events that children and families look forward to and many return to participate each year, said Supervisor Knabe. Even if a child has never fished before, there are volunteers on-hand to show them the art of casting a line and the fun of putting a worm on a hook.

The event will begin at 7:00 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast, followed by the derby kickoff at 8:00 a.m. Children may take part in free fishing and angler safety lessons as well as other activities. Each child will also receive a free t-shirt and be eligible for prizes in several categories. This year’s fishing derby also includes a first-ever event, a community health fair will be held at La Mirada Regional Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday afternoon. The health fair will include free services, including glucose checks, vaccinations, blood pressure checks and dental checks.

La Mirada Regional Park is located at 13701 South Adelfa Avenue, La Mirada, California. For more information, call (626) 333-1369.

Knabe Responds to King/Drew Inspection

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement regarding the results of the recent Federal inspection of King/Drew Medical Center:

The emergency health services provided by King/Drew Medical Center are absolutely critical to the communities served by this hospital. In the larger picture, these services are also critical to the safety net of our entire County. Los Angeles County has suffered the loss of several emergency rooms and hundreds of inpatient beds in the past decade as private hospitals have shutdown. Losing similar services at King/Drew would push the strain onto the few other hospitals remaining in that part of our County. We need to look at every available option to us to keep King/Drew open and I will carefully review the options put forth by our Director of Health Services, Dr. Bruce Chernof.

Supervisor Knabe Responds to Additional C-17 Funding Announcement

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement in response to today’s Congressional announcement to fund construction of 10 additional C-17 military transport aircraft.

"I could not be more pleased by today’s announcement that new funding has been earmarked for the Boeing C-17 program. I want to thank Senator Jim Talent of Missouri for efforts to secure funding to construct 10 additional planes. Thanks also belong to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Ken Calvert, the California Congressional delegation, Mayor Bob Foster of Long Beach and every elected leader and community leader who have fought hard for this program."

"We know the C-17 is essential to the military in the war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it is also important here at home for disaster response and homeland security efforts. As Senator Talent correctly pointed out in today’s announcement, our nation obviously does not have the supply of C-17’s that it truly needs, otherwise, the plane would not be operating at 186-percent capacity."

"Besides the huge potential hit the economy would take from the loss of 6,500 jobs at the Boeing plant in Long Beach, shutting down the C-17 could prove a costly error for National Security. Mistakes have been made in the past from shutting down aircraft production lines and we must make sure we do not make the same mistake again. Shuttering the C-17 plant means the United States would lose its last defense cargo aircraft production facility."

Supervisor Knabe currently serves as part of the C-17 "Red Team," a group of local, state and federal elected leaders that are fighting for the continued production of the C-17.

Supervisor Knabe Announces New Avalon Lifeguard and Paramedic Headquarters

A state-of-the-art lifeguard and paramedic headquarters building will soon be built in the city of Avalon. Construction moved one step closer to reality today when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a donated piece of land by the City of Avalon for the building to be constructed on.

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. County lifeguards are on-call for 24-hour periods, meaning that anyone stationed in Avalon would need to secure to housing in the City’s small and expensive housing market. With the new building, workers will be able to complete their shifts with out having to acquire housing off-site.

The structure will include administrative offices, staff housing and equipment storage. Construction will begin later this year, and the station is expected to be ready no sooner than September 2007.