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Fireworks to Usher in New Year in Marina del Rey

A brilliant display of fireworks will light up the skies over Marina del Rey on Friday, December 31, to usher in the New Year, with a five-minute spectacular beginning at the 30-second countdown to midnight.

The fireworks are presented by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, which originated more than 100 years ago in Italy.  The famous fireworks will be shot off the south jetty and can be viewed throughout the Marina.  Best locations for viewing are Fisherman’s Village at 13755 Fiji Way and Burton Chace Park at 13650 Mindanao Way.

Parking on New Year’s Eve is available in Los Angeles County lots throughout Marina del Rey.

For additional information about the New Year’s Eve Fireworks, call (310) 670-7130.

Whittier Families Receive Holiday Food Boxes and Toys

The Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles (CDC) held its 13th Annual Holiday Basket and Toy Giveaway for 300 pre-registered low-income Whittier-area families.  Santa Claus greeted families, handed out gifts, and took photographs with the excited children at the Community Resource Center (CRC) located in South Whittier.

The event was co-sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisors Don Knabe and Gloria Molina.

Owned by the County and operated by the CDC, the CRC opened on February 11, 1998, and was developed to serve as a productive meeting place for events like today’s giveaway.  The center offers a number of valuable resources and programs, such as youth and family services, educational workshops, a computer learning center, and health care services.

The Community Resource Center is located at 10750 Laurel Avenue in Whittier.  For information on services provided by the CRC, please call (562) 946-2425 or visit the website at www.swcrc.org.

Metro Offers Free Fare for Holidays

Leave the Driving to Metro — To promote a safe holiday season, Metro will offer a special holiday free fare program for all Metro Bus and Metro Rail lines operating on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The free fare program will be in effect between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. on the nights and early mornings hours of December 24-25 and December 31-January 1.

Patrons boarding a Metro Bus, including the Metro Orange Line, or the Metro Red, Purple, Blue, Green or Gold rail lines during the hours designated will receive a free ride to their destination.

Metro is reminding the public that it is an option for people attending holiday parties so they don’t have to drive. Metro’s fleet of more than 2,200 buses, the Metro Orange Line, a dedicated bus transitway in the San Fernando Valley, and Metro Rail lines offer patrons alternatives to driving solo in their vehicles with convenient travel opportunities throughout the region.

The Metro Purple Line operates from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Wilshire/Western and the Metro Red Line from Union Station to North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley via Hollywood. The Metro Blue Line operates from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles; the Metro Green Line runs between Norwalk and El Segundo, and the Metro Gold Line operates between Pasadena and East Los Angeles.

County Extends Child Abuse Prevention Program

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today approved extending the Prevention Initiative Demonstration Project (PIDP), following recent studies illustrating the success of the program in preventing child abuse and neglect.

The PIDP was the result of a joint motion by Supervisors Don Knabe and Zev Yaroslavsky in February of 2008 to test a broad spectrum of services that would seek to prevent child abuse by working proactively with at-risk families before they would come to the attention of the child welfare system. A critical element of the project was to focus on addressing the broader root causes within communities that weaken families and impede healthy childhood development – such as social isolation, lack of economic opportunities and a little or no access to municipal services.

“Instead of focusing our efforts on providing services after a crisis occurs, this program – the first of its kind in the nation – has shown that moving our resources into prevention can empower and strengthen at–risk families and keep them out of the system,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Through partnerships with community and faith-based organizations, we are able to proactively build a sense of community which helps families address problems before a crisis occurs.”

PIDP is in its second year of a three year demonstration. In that time, 18,000 people have been touched by the program, of which 13 percent were families involved with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) or were from communities with the most abuse referrals. Analysis of the program, provided by Casey Family Programs, has found it to be very effective in both keeping at-risk families out of the system and strengthening families already involved with DCFS so they do not return or leave oversight more quickly.

Major findings included:

• Proactively engaging families with ‘unfounded’ or ‘inconclusive’ Emergency Response referrals decreased re-referrals

• Providing the types of services PIDP offers to families in the system shortens the amount of time they are involved with DCFS

• Establishing a sense of community, through family visitation centers at churches, Neighborhood Action Councils and community walk-in centers, were the most successful in strengthening at-risk families

The State of Los Angeles County

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Earlier today, I had the pleasure of delivering the State of Los Angeles County address at the Long Beach Convention Center. The program was broadcast live online for everyone in the County to see. If you were unable to watch the broadcast live earlier today, the entire State of the County speech is now online for you to view.

Click here to download the transcript of Supervisor Don Knabe’s State of the County address

A Somber Goodbye for 1,689 County Family Members

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This holiday season many of us are reminded of how fortunate we are to be surrounded by our loved ones. Sadly, not everyone shares this blessing. Today, the County will bury the remains of approximately 1,689 individuals in a mass grave. These are individuals that, for one reason or another, have no one but the County to provide them with a respectful and dignified burial. Some are homeless. Many are poor. Some have no families to grieve for them. Regardless of what their status in life was, each one of their lives mattered. It matters to us, their County family.

If you are interested in attending the service, it will be held today at 2:00pm at the Los Angeles County Crematory and Cemetery (corner of 1st and Lorena St., adjacent to Evergreen Cemetery)

County Adopts Recommendations for Raves

The Board of Supervisors today approved 10 recommendations to enhance safety for attendees at electronic music festivals, also known as raves.  The motion, co-authored by Supervisors Don Knabe and Zev Yaroslavsky, was in response to a report from the Department of Public Health (DPH), which has been collaborating with public and private entities to improve security at these events.

In July 2010, the Board approved a motion by Supervisors Knabe and Yaroslavsky to establish a task force to develop procedures to increase safety measures at raves, following the death of a 15 year-old girl who was attending the annual Electric Daisy Carnival last summer.  The DPH, in cooperation with the Department of Health Services, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the Coliseum Commission and event promoters, recently submitted a report with proposals to enhance law enforcement activities and health precautions for these popular events.

The task force’s recommendations included broadening multi-agency planning, imposing an 18-year minimum age requirement for all attendees, enforcing strict alcohol policies, coordinating emergency medical services, and establishing public education programs on the dangers of illicit drug use, in particular, Ecstasy.

“I am pleased that this broad-based task force was able to work together to come up with some solid recommendations on how these festivals can be conducted in a safe and lawful way,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “The most important thing we can do is protect the young people who attend, by enforcing the laws governing these events.  As the recommendations are implemented, we will continue to monitor the situation in conjunction with law enforcement and festival operators.”

Remembering Jack Kyser

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I am shocked to learn of the passing of Jack Kyser, one of the premier economists in Southern California and a close personal friend for over 25 years.  Jack was a highly-respected authority on economic information and you could always count on him for an honest, upfront assessment of fiscal and business conditions in this region.  Jack will be missed, as an adviser, and most especially as a friend and resident of the 4th District.  My thoughts and prayers go to the Kyser family in this difficult time.

The World Has Lost a True Political Pioneer

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I am very sad to learn of the passing of Joe Cerrell, a longtime friend. Joe was a true pioneer in local, state and national politics and his accomplishments are legendary. His advice and counsel will be missed by all of us who benefited from his wisdom. Joe was a great American, contributing countless hours of public service in Los Angeles. Our thoughts and prayers are with Lee and their family in this difficult time.

Newborn Boy Safely Surrendered at County Fire Station

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the fifth time this year with the report of another safely surrendered newborn. This most recent safe surrender occurred at Los Angeles County Fire Station 87, located in the unincorporated area of the City of Industry.

The mother entered the fire station today at 3:00pm and presented the crew with the newborn baby, which was three hours old. As is standard practice, the baby boy is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“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.”

This is the fifth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2010, and the 81st since the program began nine 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.