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Safely Surrendered Baby in Long Beach

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced this morning that a baby has been safely surrendered at a hospital in Long Beach. The newborn Caucasian boy was surrendered yesterday afternoon at Community Hospital of Long Beach. The baby is healthy and will be placed in an adoptive home by the Department of Children and Family Services.

I want to thank this 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.

The Safe Surrender Program in Los Angeles County was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2002. 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.

The newborn handed over at Community Hospital yesterday is the 40th safely surrendered baby since the program started and the fourth since the beginning of 2006.

Supervisor Knabe Honors Torrance High School Girls Golf Team for Historic Season

Supervisor Don Knabe presented scrolls today to honor coaches and team members of the Torrance High School Girls Golf Team for completing the most successful season ever recorded in the state for a girls’ golf team.

After winning the Ocean League Championship, the C.I.F. Eastern Division and Southern Section Championships, and the Southern California C.I.F. Championship the Torrance girls completed their post-season sweep by winning the 2005 C.I.F. State Championship by a 24-stroke margin. In addition to this incredible team victory, team member Jane Rah earned the individual State Championship Title by posting the only sub-par performance during the final round.

The Torrance High School Golf Team is the first team in state history to win all four post-season tournaments. It is also the first time that both the individual and team champions have been from the same school.

As a long-time golfer, it has been amazing to see how this team finished off their season, said Supervisor Knabe. It was a truly incredible run. The LPGA needs to keep an eye out for these girls.

Manhattan Beach to Reopen After Sewage Cleanup

On the recommendation of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts and the County Department of Health Services, Supervisor Don Knabe authorized the reopening today of a portion of Manhattan Beach that was closed after the January 15, 2006 wastewater spill.

The impacted area was centered on 21st Street and Marine Avenue in the City of Manhattan Beach. The area had been initially reopened after the January spill, but was subsequently closed again after further testing indicated elevated levels of bacteria below the surface.

The sand was sanitized with a diluted solution of bleach, equivalent to one capful of household bleach per gallon of water. The full-scale treatment of the sand was preceded by pilot tests to determine the proper application of diluted bleach solution. Monitoring systems were integrated into the procedure to assure that the application of the bleach solution would not impact groundwater below the surface or ocean water.

After full-scale cleanup was completed, testing of the sand area, down to three-feet below the surface, indicated no further elevated levels of bacteria. In addition to the 21st Street area, cleanup on three small areas in Hermosa Beach has been completed, and cleanup on three other small areas in Manhattan Beach should be finished this week.

It was critical that the Health Department and the Sanitation Districts got this beach healthy and back in business as safely and as quickly as possible, said Supervisor Knabe. I have reviewed the test results by both departments and I am satisfied by their reports that efforts to clean up the beach have been successful.

Newborn Safely Surrendered at Norwalk Hospital

A newborn boy has been surrendered at a Norwalk hospital as part of the Safe Surrender program, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced this morning.

The baby boy was safely surrendered yesterday at Coast Plaza Doctor’s Hospital in Norwalk. An unidentified woman brought the baby to the emergency room, saying the baby was born at home and that his mother had asked the woman to surrender him to the hospital. This incident is the third Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2006. The first two surrenders occurred on the same day last month when two newborns were dropped off at hospitals in Long Beach and Glendora.

The Safe Surrender Program in Los Angeles County was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2002. 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.

The first year the program went into effect, no surrenders were reported in Los Angeles County. That same year, 11 newborns were discovered abandoned and deceased. By 2005, the number of Safe Surrenders climbed to 8 cases and the number of abandoned deceased infants dropped to 4. The newborn handed over at the Norwalk hospital yesterday is the 39 th safely surrendered baby since the program started.

This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby boy has a long life ahead of him, said Supervisor Knabe. I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.

Two Newborns Safely Surrendered in Los Angeles County

Two newborn babies were recently turned over to local hospitals as part of the Safe Surrender program, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced this afternoon.

Both surrenders occurred on Friday, February 24. The first was a newborn Hispanic male, who was dropped off at Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora. The second newborn was also a Hispanic male, who was surrendered at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Long Beach. Although the surrenders happened over one week ago, it is not unusual for cases to take several days to be verified as a true Safe Surrender.

The Safe Surrender Program, initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2002, allows a parent or legal guardian to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old confidentially and without fear of prosecution to any hospital or fire station, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

The first year the program went into effect, there was not a single Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County. That same year, 11 newborns were discovered abandoned and deceased. By 2005, the number of Safe Surrenders climbed to 8 cases and the number of abandoned deceased infants dropped to 4. The two recent Safe Surrenders were the first for 2006.

The right choice was made for these newborns, said Supervisor Knabe. Both babies are healthy and will end up in loving homes because they were turned over through the Safe Surrender Program.

Expanded Public Safety Services Coming to South Whittier

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will soon be announcing a new law enforcement and community safety plan for the unincorporated area of South Whittier . The new law enforcement plan is the result of several meetings between local residents and business owners, the Supervisor’s office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department about upgrading the public safety needs of the South Whittier Community.

A major component of the plan is the reintroduction of a full-time Sheriff’s Deputy to serve as the Town Sheriff. Deputy Pat Rincon will takeover as the Town Sheriff, a job he held in South Whittier several years ago. Three additional sheriff’s patrol deputies will also be added to South Whittier, doubling the number currently stationed in the area.

Other parts of the plan include the creation of a taskforce made up of various law enforcement agencies designed to find solutions to common problems and the creation of a community taskforce of 20 local leaders. Graffiti tracking and abatement programs will also be added, along with the expansion of COPS teams in South Whittier.

This expanded law enforcement plan is the result of the resident’s efforts, said Supervisor Knabe. I heard the community’s concerns and suggestions about making South Whittier a safer and stronger community and I am confident this plan will help make that happen.

Supervisor Knabe and other local leaders will announce specific details about the law enforcement plan at a community meeting on Tuesday, February 28. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Adventure Park gymnasium at 10130 South Gunn Avenue in South Whittier.

Planning for the Future of Hacienda Heights

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is inviting residents and local business owners in Hacienda Heights to attend the kick-off meeting of a planned Community Planning Advisory Group.

Supervisor Knabe, along with the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, recently started the process of involving local residents in evaluation and updating of local community plans. The community group will also help explore priorities for local fee revenues coming from the last expansion of the Puente Hills Landfill.

This first meeting is planned for Wednesday, February 22, 2006 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Steinmetz Park Senior Center. The park is located at 1545 South Stimson Avenue in Hacienda Heights. The purpose of this meeting is to hear a report from the County’s consultants on the findings of their community interviews. This meeting is also the first opportunity for Hacienda Heights residents to come together to influence community planning priorities.

I look forward to personally addressing the Hacienda Heights community on Wednesday night, said Supervisor Knabe. This is an important process for outlining the future of Hacienda Heights and I want to thank the residents and local business owners for their help in shaping the future of this community.

Bobbi Jean Tanberg Appointed to the Los Angeles County Commission for Women

Supervisor Don Knabe today announced that the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved his appointment of Downey resident Bobbi Jean Tanberg to the Los Angeles County Commission for Women.

Tanberg is a 15-year County employee and she currently serves as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant in the Center for Applied Rehabilitation Technology at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center (RLANRC). Tanberg is also the

Co-Founder of the Positive Self Image Life Coaching Program at RLANRC which provides life coaching to persons with disabilities.

Besides her work at RLANRC, Tanberg is involved with several organizations, including: Southern California Rehabilitation Services, American Occupational Therapy Association, the United States Olympic Organization and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association of America.

I believe my life experience as a woman and a person with a disability will expand and contribute to the diversity of this commission, said Tanberg

Bobbi Jean’s tireless work both at Rancho and in the community is a tremendous inspiration to us all," said Supervisor Knabe. We are very lucky to have such a devoted person on the Commission for Women.

Norwalk Regional Health Center Re-Opens

Nearly four years after County budget cuts forced its closure, the Norwalk Regional Health Center is now back in business. Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will lead the clinic’s re-opening with a ribbon cutting and dedication at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 15th.

The re-opening of the Health Center was made possible by contributions from Supervisor Don Knabe, JWCH Institute, L.A. Care Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente, and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

The newly-renovated Health Center will be operated by JWCH Institute, Inc., a private, non-profit health agency founded by a group of prominent Los Angeles-area physicians in 1960. Since then, the Institute has managed several health clinics targeting under-served residents of Los Angeles County.

The Health Center, which is now accepting patients, will provide free and low-cost medical care and social services to the residents of the surrounding communities. JWCH is collaborating with the following agencies to provide the patients a wide range of services: ALMA Family Services, Intercommunity Child Guidance Center, Los Angeles Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Oldtimers Foundation, Southern California Alcohol and Drug Programs, Whittier Rio Hondo AIDS Project, and Helpline Youth Counseling.

When you look at the low-cost services available in this community, you find they are virtually non-existent. The people who need this clinic the most have to travel a great distance to receive the services it once provided before closing, said Supervisor Knabe. This re-opening is a rebirth. It is a commitment that we have not given up on providing outstanding health care to this community.

"Re-opening the Norwalk Regional Health Center is the result of the work of a public-private partnership among L.A. Care Health Plan, Supervisor Don Knabe and JWCH Institute," said Howard Kahn, CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, which funded a $125,000 grant to re-open the health center. Access to health care affects everyone and guaranteeing it will require the collective effort of all of us."

The press conference and ribbon cutting will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 15th. The Norwalk Regional Health Center is located at 12360 Firestone Boulevard in the City of Norwalk. Parking will be reserved for members of the media on Firestone Boulevard directly in front of the Health Center.

Knabe to Dedicate Two Homeless Centers in Long Beach

On Thursday, February 9, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will lead the Grand Opening celebrations for two new homeless service facilities in the City of Long Beach.

The first event is the dedication of the new Mary McLeod Bethune Transitional Center, a school that provides mainstream educational and health services to children of homeless families. The new 6,000 square foot campus helps many of the 800 homeless children enrolled in the Long Beach Unified School District receive the same academic opportunities that students in other local schools receive. Supervisor Knabe secured $1 million in Federal Community Development Block Grant money to help fund construction of the Bethune Center.

The second event is the dedication of a new homeless shelter, which will serve as the first permanent, year-round shelter in Long Beach. The 59-bed facility will accommodate both men and women in separate units and will include services beyond free overnight housing and meals.

Anyone staying at the shelter will be able to access an array of services, including mental health, housing assistance and job training services. Supervisor Knabe earmarked $787,000 in County homeless shelter funding towards construction and operation costs.

Both of these programs are about giving homeless men, women and children a leg up,said Supervisor Knabe. At both facilities we are giving people access to the same educational, health and social services any other resident of Los Angeles County can enjoy.

The dedication of the Bethune Transitional Center is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 9. The Center is located at 2041 San Gabriel Avenue in Long Beach.

Services at the new Long Beach Homeless Shelter begin at 12 p.m. on Thursday, February 9. The Shelter’s address is 1368 Oregon Avenue in Long Beach.